New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin was indicted Tuesday on multiple charges including bribery, honest services wire fraud, and falsification of records in connection with an alleged campaign finance scheme, multiple outlets have reported.
Benjamin, who is second-in-command to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), surrendered to accusations of conspiring to funnel fraudulent donations to a previous campaign, The New York Times reports, per individuals familiar with the matter.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
According to the indictment, the scheme between Benjamin and Gerald Migdol, the real estate investor and developer, ran from 2019 to 2021. Hochul appointed Benjamin to the role of lieutenant governor in September 2021, not long after she vacated the role to replace that of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo stepped down from his post in the wake of sexual harassment allegations.
Per their agreement, Migdol would donate to Benjamin's campaign "in exchange for Benjamin's agreement to use his influence as a state senator to get a $50,000 grant of state funds for a nonprofit organization the developer controlled," reports The Associated Press. Migdol was arrested on federal charges in November.
There is currently no indication that Hochul was aware of Benjamin's alleged conduct, the Times notes. The revelations, however, threaten to complicate the upcoming election for the both of them.
-
‘Democracy is under threat globally’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Job hugging: the growing trend of clinging to your jobIn the Spotlight People are staying in their jobs longer than ever
-
NASA reveals ‘clearest sign of life’ on Mars yetSpeed Read The evidence came in the form of a rock sample collected on the planet
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mountSpeed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own listspeed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battleSpeed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
