New Evidence Suggests that Henry Santana and Enrique Pepen Continued Collecting City Paychecks While Running for Boston City Council
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The newly elected Boston City Council has already started the year off on shaky footing. From Tania Fernandes Anderson neglecting her oath of office to Council President Ruthzee Louijeune failing to comply with the Boston Municipal Code, any hope city residents have for a more accountable and transparent Council seems fleeting.Â
This is unlikely to change as yet another controversy is knocking on the doors of both the Boston City Council and the Wu administration.
According to official records obtained exclusively by BAN, it appears that both Henry Santana and Enrique Pepen continued collecting taxpayer-funded paychecks well after they launched their respective campaigns.
Henry Santana resigned from his city position on April 29, 2023, but officially organized his campaign on March 31, 2023.
Santana, who previously came under fire for having never voted until announcing his bid for City Council participated in a variety of campaign-related activities before resigning from his city job. From posting on social media to attending various public events, Santana was active on the campaign trail and even promoted his campaign during the workday.
More significant, however, is the fact that Santana raised a total of $15,315 during this overlapping period. According to Massachusetts General Law:
"Paid state, county, city or town employees, other than elected officials, are prohibited from directly or indirectly soliciting or receiving any contributions or anything of value for ANY political purpose."
Councilor Enrique Pepen also appears to have a questionable timeline when it comes to the start of his campaign and official resignation from city employment.
According to official documents, Pepen filed his Statement of Organization on June 6, 2023, but did not resign his position with the city of Boston until July 10, 2023. During this timeframe, Pepen received $4,849.99 in donations and spent $1,750. Â
Pepen has been fined previously by the Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) for using public resources for his campaign. According to our preliminary inquiry, it seems unlikely that Pepen’s initial $5,000 citation factored in this recent evidence. Pepen eventually paid this fine using donated money from his campaign account.
Before joining the Boston City Council, both Santana and Pepen were appointed to their official positions by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
Additionally, after announcing their candidacies, Mayor Wu strongly endorsed and supported both Santana and Pepen throughout the entirety of their campaigns.
Those interested in filing a formal complaint with OCPF can do so at this email address. For further guidance on what should be included, you can view their official guidelines by clicking here.
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