Former State Sen. Dean Tran allegedly used state money to pay campaign staff, prosecutors say
BOSTON - Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran was arraigned in court on Monday for allegedly using state money to pay his staff to campaign for him.
Tran, who served in the Massachusetts Senate from 2017-2021, is charged with two counts of using an official position to secure an unwarranted privilege. He said he was "absolutely not guilty of violating state ethics laws" during his plea in court.
The Attorney General's office alleges that Tran used his staffers to campaign for him in both his 2018 and 2020 reelection campaigns.
The staff allegedly organized fundraisers, knocked on doors, crafted campaign mailers while on state payroll, and during official working hours at the Mass GOP campaign office in Fitchburg.
Massachusetts ethics law prohibits public employees from using public resources for political campaigns.
In July, Tran pleaded not guilty to several charges including allegedly stealing a gun from an elderly constituent and misleading investigators.
