Free Republic

A smirking mayor refused to answer questions outside of court after being charged with fraudulently obtaining pandemic loans worth over $1 million and using the money to fund his election campaign as well as pay off high-interest mortgages. Brian DePena, the Mayor of Lawrence, Massachusetts, and a Dominican native, made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston Friday, where he was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. He was released after agreeing to several conditions, including turning his passport over and not seeking any loans without court approval, the Associated Press reports....

Mass migration has caused one city in Massachusetts to resemble a foreign nation, as even its own mayor seems unable to speak or understand a word of English. As The Eagle-Tribune reported, Lawrence Mayor Brian DePena testified earlier this month during a hearing in support of former acting police chief William Castro’s appeal against revoked credentials from a 2024 traffic incident. According to WCVB, Castro “engaged in a motor-vehicle pursuit in violation of the policies of the Lawrence Police Department.” Moreover, he was “untruthful” regarding the chase while he and his superiors failed to investigate the incident independently. Video has...