THE MASS BRIEF

Saturday, August 15, 2026

Good morning. It's a heavy news day out of Lawrence, a jaw-dropping settlement at the T, and a governor trying to referee a decades-old fight over drinking water. Let's get into it.

The Lead

Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña was arrested by the FBI at his home Friday morning, hit with federal wire fraud and money laundering charges that allege he treated a pandemic-era small business loan program like his personal bank account. Prosecutors say DePeña — who also owns Tenares Tire Services — took in more than $1.6 million in COVID-era Economic Injury Disaster Loans meant to keep his tire business afloat, then funneled the money into campaign expenses, IRS debt, and payments on high-interest mortgages for properties he owned around the city. Text messages cited in the complaint show DePeña pleading with his own financial adviser for cash: "I'm in your hands," he wrote in one message, according to court documents.

This isn't just a DePeña story — it's a Lawrence story. The city has cycled through corruption scandals for over a decade, from former Mayor William Lantigua's legal troubles to, just in the past few years, a chief of staff convicted on child pornography charges, a city councilor who pleaded guilty to voter fraud, and a still-open AG investigation into secret recordings inside City Hall. City Councilor Marc Laplante told the Globe the city has been fighting hard to change its image — new restaurants, falling crime, people moving in — and now this. DePeña, who was released on conditions including surrendering his passport and staying in-state, is still the sitting mayor. He's not required to resign, and Massachusetts law gives him wide latitude to stay in office while the case plays out.

What happens next: watch whether the City Council or state officials apply pressure for DePeña to step aside, and whether more City Hall figures get pulled into the case as it develops. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley made clear this is a message case — "our determination to root out fraud by anyone, even public officials." Full story at Boston Globe →

What Else You Should Know

The MBTA's $500K hair-pulling settlement. Gabrielle Mondestin, the T's chief communications officer, will resign September 18 with a $495,000 settlement after GM Phil Eng admitted to pulling her hair at a 2024 dinner and called it "insensitive." Eng — who also serves as the state's interim transportation secretary — faces no admission of wrongdoing in the deal, and the T has disclosed almost nothing about how the incident was investigated. Boston Globe →

Three members of Congress toured the Plymouth ICE facility. Reps. Jim McGovern, Ayanna Pressley, and Stephen Lynch made an unannounced visit to the Plymouth County Correctional Facility, the state's only long-term civil immigration detention site. They said conditions were clean but blasted the detentions as cruel and wasteful, noting most detainees have no criminal record. Boston Globe →

Healey wades into the Quabbin water wars. The governor sent a letter to the MWRA arguing the towns that border the Quabbin Reservoir — which supplies drinking water to 3.1 million people — deserve more recognition and support for the burden they carry protecting the watershed while dealing with their own infrastructure limits. WBUR →

Healey cracks down on kratom. An emergency order will pull synthetic 7-OH kratom products from convenience stores and smoke shops starting in 14 days, after doctors warned the lab-made version can cause opioid-like addiction and overdoses in young people who assume it's harmless because it's "natural" and legal. GBH News →

A win for solar customers. State regulators finalized a plan to eliminate surprise grid-connection fees — sometimes exceeding $10,000 — that have been scaring homeowners away from installing solar panels. The change takes effect this fall and is a rare full-consensus outcome at the DPU. CommonWealth Beacon →

A New Bedford officer allegedly used Flock cameras to track her ex. A woman seeking a restraining order says Officer Emily Pacheco used the department's license-plate surveillance system to monitor her after their breakup. New Bedford police have paused all Flock use while they investigate. Boston Globe →

Worth Your Attention

• Aug. 22 is the deadline to register to vote for the September 1 state primaries, and early voting runs Aug. 22–28. GBH News →
• Rep. Stephen Lynch and challenger Patrick Roath faced off in a Weymouth candidate forum this week, previewing what's shaping up as a generational fight in the 8th District primary. Boston.com →
• The Cape and Islands DA primary between incumbent Rob Galibois and challenger Michael Giardino is also on the September 1 ballot. GBH News →

Track all bills →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Cari-Ann Knight — House, 3rd Worcester — Filed: 8/10/2026

PACs

• Protect Massachusetts Taxpayers Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 8/11/2026

OCPF →

See you tomorrow morning.

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