New York lieutenant governor indicted on bribery charges


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.
More specifically, the FBI and the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York have alleged that, while still a state senator, Benjamin conspired to "direct state funds to a Harlem real estate investor in exchange for orchestrating thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions to [his] unsuccessful 2021 campaign for New York City comptroller," the Times writes.
Subscribe to 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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Film reviews: The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back, and Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Feature A despised mogul seeks a fresh triumph, orphaned siblings land with a nightmare foster mother, and a Jane fan finds herself in a love triangle
-
Music reviews: Tune-Yards and PinkPantheress
Feature "Better Dreaming" and "Fancy That"
-
Withdrawing 529 plan funds for college? Here's what to know.
the explainer Maximize the amount you have stashed away for your education
-
Elon Musk slams Trump's 'pork-filled' signature bill
speed read 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,' Musk posted on X
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs