State Representative Chynah Tyler has agreed to pay Massachusetts $6,000 following findings by campaign finance officials that she used campaign committee funds for personal expenses. These expenses ranged from a salon visit to food orders, medical prescriptions, and more.
The Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) found that the Roxbury Democrat spent a total of $5,664.61 on personal expenses, according to a January 5 disposition agreement. Additionally, through its own review, Tyler’s campaign committee identified another $827 in erroneous personal expenditures, which it has since reimbursed.
An audit conducted by OCPF investigators revealed that between April and June, Tyler used campaign funds improperly on several items. These included a $223 charge at Aicha’s African Hair Braiding Salon in Boston on June 9, $67.62 on Uber Eats, $100 for AAA membership dues, and $19.07 at a Shell gas station in Boston.
Beyond personal spending violations, OCPF found that Tyler’s campaign committee violated other campaign finance laws. The committee accepted contributions from three individuals in 2024 that exceeded the $1,000 legal limit. Furthermore, the committee failed to file timely deposit reports in 2024 disclosing $13,770.78 in contributor information and did not clarify expenditures from 2024 and 2025 promptly.
An additional audit, currently marked as “outstanding” on Tyler’s OCPF page, revealed she illegally withdrew a total of $6,700 through cash withdrawals or bank checks in February 2025. OCPF auditor McKayla Steineke noted in an April 29 report to the committee:
“Cash withdrawals and bank checks are prohibited from your campaign account. Please clarify the vendor and/or purpose for which the bank check or cash was used. In the future, please refrain from using a bank check or withdrawing cash.”
In her response, included in the disposition agreement, Tyler explained that the birth of her child in early 2025 impacted her ability to oversee campaign finance activities.
“I gave birth in Winter 2025 and experienced limited mobility during that time, which impacted my ability to personally oversee certain campaign finance activities. During this period, I continued to meet with constituents, community leaders and other qualified professionals,” she wrote.
Tyler also provided explanations for each violation noted by OCPF auditors. Regarding the misuse of campaign funds and the unauthorized withdrawals, she stated that she worked with the committee to correct all errors identified in the report.
“Personal Use: OCPF identified personal expenses that were made in error. We corrected these errors by personally reimbursing the committee to ensure full compliance. Unauthorized Withdrawal from Bank Account: We took appropriate action to comply with all requirements to ensure transparency and compliance,” Tyler said.
The Herald has reached out to Tyler’s office for further comment.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2026/01/07/massachusetts-state-rep-chynah-tyler-under-fire-for-using-campaign-cash-on-personal-expenses/