IRS, FBI Raid State Senator Brian Joyce's Office

Originally published on Feb. 17, 2016.

CANTON, MA - Federal investigators have raided the Canton law office of State Senator Brian Joyce.

A person familiar with the investigation told the Boston Globe that the raid was related to recent stories scrutinizing free services that Joyce received.

The FBI told WHDH that they are conducting “court authorized activity in connection with an ongoing federal investigation.”

Joyce, a Democrat from Milton whose district covers Avon, Braintree, Canton, East Bridgewater, Easton, Milton, Randolph, Sharon, Stoughton and West Bridgewater, has been the focus of a Globe investigation.

Last month, Joyce paid $5,000 under an agreement made public by the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance for using campaign funds to pay for his son’s graduation party.

Also, Joyce was also questioned for free drying cleaning he received from a business in his district.

Last year, he stepped down from his leadership position as the assistant majority leader after meeting with state insurance regulators on behalf of a private client.

Howard Copper, Joyce’s lawyer, released a statement defending his client.

“Senator Joyce has been cooperating with each inquiry that has taken place to date resulting from those stories and believes that he has done absolutely nothing wrong,” Cooper said according to WBZ.

MassGOP has released a statement calling on Joyce to resign.

”With federal investigators raiding his office after a series of deeply troubling corruption reports, it is time for Senator Brian Joyce to resign from office immediately. Joyce’s remarkable disregard for the law is a byproduct of the Democratic culture of corruption on Beacon Hill, where abuse of power appears to be a fringe benefit. The presence of such corrupt Democratic lawmakers is exactly why Senate President Rosenberg is wrong to want to weaken state ethics rules,” MassGOP Chairman Kirsten Hughes said in a statement.

No arrests have been made.

This article will be updated when more information becomes available.