Press Release  Former State Senator Dean Tran Indicted On Two Counts Of State Ethics Law Violations

BOSTON — Former State Senator Dean Tran has been indicted by the Suffolk County Grand Jury convened at the request of the Attorney General’s Office and charged with two counts of violating the state ethics law, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced today.  

Tran, 47, of Fitchburg, was charged with the Use of Official Position to Secure an Unwarranted Privilege (2 counts) when he used his Senate staff to campaign for him on state time and payroll. Tran will be arraigned in Suffolk County Superior Court at a later date. 

The matter was referred to the Attorney General’s Office by the Office of Campaign and Political Finance following a report from the Senate Committee on Ethics in 2020 that found Tran inappropriately used his Senate staff to conduct campaign activities. 

The AG’s Office alleges that during both his 2018 and 2020 re-election campaigns, Tran used members of his Senate staff to campaign for him while those staff members were on state time, state payroll, and purportedly working for the Legislature. Their campaign activities included, but were not limited to, organizing fundraisers, knocking doors, and crafting campaign mailers. These activities took place during official work hours at the MassGOP campaign regional field office in Fitchburg. 

According to the state’s conflict of interest law, state, county and municipal public employees are prohibited from using public resources in connection with political campaigns or other private political activity. This includes engaging in political activity on public work time. Public employees can obtain free, confidential advice about the conflict of interest law from the State Ethics Commission’s Legal Division by submitting an online request or calling 617-371-9500.  

The prosecutor assigned to this matter is AAG Kristen Sullivan, of AG Campbell’s White Collar and Public Integrity Division. AGO Financial Investigator Gillian Daly provided support to the investigation. 

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