Massachusetts Democrat who sits on ethics panel arrested for corruption

Longtime Massachusetts state Rep. David Nangle, who sits on both the ethics and rules committees, has been arrested for corruption.

The Democratic lawmaker was arrested by the FBI and IRS on Tuesday and charged with bank fraud, lying to a bank, falsifying tax returns, and wire fraud. He stands accused of using his campaign’s bank account to fund his expensive gambling habit, according to ABC News.

The 28-count indictment alleges Nangle “was heavily in debt, had poor credit and had regular cash flow problems as a result of extensive gambling at various casinos in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, among others — placing thousands of bets on internet gambling sites.”

As the debt accumulated, even as Nangle earned about $100,000 in recent years, prosecutors said he began to use campaign funds to close out his personal debt instead of for legitimate purposes and used “the Nangle Committee bank account as his own personal checking account to pay for various personal expenses and to withdraw cash.”

As a member of the state legislature, Nangle sits on the House Committee on Ethics, the House Committee on Rules, and the Joint Committee on Rules.

FBI agent Joseph Bonavolonta said Nangle, who has served as a state lawmaker since 1999, used the funds not just for gambling, but for a variety of illicit purposes.