The Sun recently reported in their outmoded format, the Sunday Rumor Monger (oh, sorry, it’s called “The Column”) that state Representative David Nangle (17th Middlesex) may be planning to pull papers and run for reelection despite the 28 federal indictments against him on illegally using his campaign funds for things like limos to the casino and a golf club membership.

Are you kidding me???

And yes, this is outrageous enough for me to pull this blog out of retirement!

(For disclosure purposes, I am friends with two of the folks who’ve pulled papers to run or are considering running for the 17th. And for a link to the so-called “Column,” please see the Sun home page. My virus and phishing blocker pops up when I go to the site so I prefer not to if I can help it…or send you there either, dear reader.)

Let’s get something straight. A sitting state Rep is under massive federal indictment…for such activities as “raid[ing] his campaign account of more than $70,000 to sustain his gambling habit, bilk[ing] a local bank out of more than $300,000 in loan money he wasn’t qualified to receive, and cheat[ing] the IRS out of tens of thousands of dollars.” If you look at the rundown on the indictments, it really sounds like the feds have his number, though the trial has not happened and it’s still “alleged.”

And NO ONE is calling for him to resign his seat, let alone at least not run again until this trial is finished??

Does no one in state leadership (ahem, Speaker-for-Life DeLeo) or in Lowell even care that this “member of the House Ethics Committee” appears to have so flagrantly broke every ethical rule in the ethical book?

Now, look. A word on a possibly underlying cause. If Rep. Nangle is suffering from gambling addiction, that is an awful thing, and (not to toot my own horn) a major reason why I was against legalizing casinos in the first place. Addiction is a terrible battle, and the presence of casinos increases the likelihood of stories like this. Though how a golf club membership and getting a loan from a bank fraudulently relate to a gambling addiction, I can’t say.

But if these indictments are proven true, then Nangle will have to pay the penalties for his actions, whatever they are. And he should not be running for office with these indictments hanging over his head. Period. I don’t even know why this has to be said!

I mean let me reiterate…why does that even have to be said???