Tim Flaherty
He/Him
- Currently
- Attorney
- Election history
- 1st-time candidate for Council; previously ran for State Senate
He/Him
As lifelong Cantabrigian, Tim Flaherty has a long history in the area. For instance, he previously ran for State Senate in 2007 and 2010, he coaches Little League in West Cambridge, and he has lectured at Carroll School of Management at Boston College.
He is a also prominent criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor and has represented a wide range of clients from the government, to politicians, and local influencers (Emmanuel Mervil of “Everybody Gotta Eat”).
Tim is currently representing Cambridge Council Paul Toner against the charges for frequenting a brothel ring, news of which broke earlier in 2025 and potentially influenced Paul Toner to not seek re-election. Toner endorsed and actively campaigns for Flaherty as his replacement.
He is on track to raise by far the most money in the 2025 election, passing $130,000, with a high average donation dollar amount.
Tim has his own legal controversy, covered at length in local publications. In brief, in 2016 he pleaded guilty to "disrupting a state court proceeding". His license to practice law was suspended, but reinstated in 2018 by the Supreme Judicial Court. It is worth noting that the witness tampering case was brought by US Attorney Carmen Ortiz (of Aaron Swartz infamy).
Tim has made heterodox statements on housing. He nominally supports building densely in corridors and near T stations, but is opposed to a "walkshed" approach to zoning, in which heights step-up progressively based on proximity to a designated zone (e.g. a T stop or Square).
He has stated that if elected he will advocate for revisiting the Multifamily Housing Ordinance, which passed 8-1, for "(failing) to include the voices of abutters and neighbors" and ensure they are "taken into consideration."
He has endorsed municipal financing methods for ADU construction.
I support transit housing and corridor upzoning, but I grew up in North Cambridge right off Mass Ave and less than a 1/2 mile from Davis Square. I can tell you from personal experience that the Walkshed Zoning proposal is simply too much.
I support the preservation of the unadulterated natural habitat of Fresh Pond Reservation, including the Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. Municipal Golf Course, and the walking, bicycling, and jogging path that circles the pond.
He only canceled after we sent him a question list, including one question asking about his guilty plea and disbarment (sic - not disbarment; temporary suspension) for witness tampering (sic). It's probably just a coincidence. It's also probably just a coincidence that as attorney for brothel enthusiast Paul Toner, he advised the Councillor not to step down during his term, which just coincidentally left an open seat for Mr. Flaherty to run for during this election. And it's probably just a coincidence that Councillor Toner donated $500 to Tim Flaherty's campaign. Probably. But let's just embrace the mystery.
Paul Toner is a person I have known my entire life. He's a man of high character. He loves his family and his family loves him. None of us are perfect. He's a hard-working city councilor, and the City of Cambridge is lucky to have him.
| Organization | Cambridge? | Union? | View |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Boston Labor Council | this cycle | ||
| Cambridge Firefighters IAFF Local 30 | |||
| SEIU Local 888 | |||
| UAW | |||
| Cambridge Police Patrol Officers Association | |||
| Laborers Local 151 | |||
| Painters and Allied Trades District Council 35 |
Pedestrian and cycling safety, policy, infrastructure, governance
Pedestrian and cycling safety, policy, infrastructure, governance
Housing policy, development, governance
Housing policy, development, governance
“Our politics are too often polarized,” Flaherty said, according to the press release. “We need people on the City Council who can get past that polarization and find areas of common ground and compromise. We are stronger together, and we can make more concrete progress when united than divided.”
Years later, Flaherty in 2014 made headlines after he tried to stop a victim of a hate crime from testifying against his client with an offer of $2,500 in cash, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Flaherty pleaded guilty to related charges in 2016. As a result, he was placed on probation for a year; during that period, he was not allowed to practice law. In 2018, the Supreme Judicial Court reinstated Flaherty to practice law.
Aug. 9, 2025 — Alvin Buyinza“Our politics are too often polarized,” Flaherty said, according to the press release. “We need people on the City Council who can get past that polarization and find areas of common ground and compromise. We are stronger together, and we can make more concrete progress when united than divided.”
Years later, Flaherty in 2014 made headlines after he tried to stop a victim of a hate crime from testifying against his client with an offer of $2,500 in cash, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Flaherty pleaded guilty to related charges in 2016. As a result, he was placed on probation for a year; during that period, he was not allowed to practice law. In 2018, the Supreme Judicial Court reinstated Flaherty to practice law.
Flaherty called Toner a “man of high character” at the courthouse in Medford after charges were filed against the councilor on Friday.
“None of us are perfect,” Flaherty said to reporters after the hearing, adding that “Cambridge is lucky to have him.”
March 22, 2025 — Matan H. Josephy and Laurel M. ShugartFlaherty called Toner a “man of high character” at the courthouse in Medford after charges were filed against the councilor on Friday.
“None of us are perfect,” Flaherty said to reporters after the hearing, adding that “Cambridge is lucky to have him.”