Clark Grant, a founder of the Boston BLM-linked nonprofit “Violence For Boston” and the husband of a high profile BLM-tied activist, was arrested on Tuesday on pandemic unemployment and mortgage fraud charges.
Grant is accused of collecting more than $67,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits while at the same time working and taking home a full-time salary of close to $70,000 a year, according to federal court documents. Grant is the husband of Monica Cannon-Grant, an influential leftist activist who rose to prominence during the BLM riots of 2020.
Monica Cannon-Grant was named “Bostonian of the Year” by the Boston Globe in 2020. She also has ties to several politicians both local and national. Cannon-Grant has supported Michelle Wu, the front-runner in the mayoral race, and has used the group’s influential Facebook page to support her.
“It’s an unfortunate situation. Whenever there’s action like this that happens, I will be following to see what happens with this investigation, but I know that there’s been good work done by this organization in the community,” Wu said when asked about the arrest.
Cannon-Grant also has listed donations from then-Mayor Martin Walsh, state representatives Liz Miranda and Chynah Tyler and City Councilor Julia Mejia. Violence in Boston even opened up a Hyde Park office with the help of Walsh, according to the Boston Herald.
Cannon-Grant’s profile raised dramatically during 2020’s BLM riots.Cannon-Grant has also worked on the campaign of Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and the senate campaign of Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-MA).
This year, she promoted a conspiracy theory that a black teen was lynched in the Boston area, prompting the Middelsex district attorney to make a statement saying the claim had no basis. Last year, she organized a 20,000 person protest in Franklin Park in which she yelled to a cheering crowd, “F— the police.”
Search warrants from the ongoing investigation remain sealed.