ALBANY, NY (AP) – New York Vice President Brian Benjamin resigned Tuesday after being arrested in a federal corruption investigation that caused a political crisis seven weeks after choosing Benjamin as his partner. A fresh start in the office, which has already caused scandal.
Benjamin, a Democrat, resigned Tuesday night, Hochul said.
He was accused of participating in a program to receive campaign contributions from a real estate developer, in exchange for Benjamin’s influence, using his influence as a state senator to receive a $ 50,000 grant with state funds in an organization with no revenue controlled by the developer.
Charges against him, including bribery, fraud, conspiracy and document forgery, led Benjamin to plead guilty on Tuesday. He was released and bail was set at $ 250,000.
The two attorneys representing Benjamin did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
1 / Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin has been charged with fraud in connection with his town election campaign. @THECITYNY In the program reported in January 2021, when donors to his campaign said they didn’t contribute – or knew who Benjamin was. https://t.co/v8lK4b6ZRt
– City (@THECITYNY) April 12, 2022
Two months after Benjamin became lieutenant governor, a real estate developer was accused of campaigning for Benjamin’s failed bid for a controller in New York. Federal authorities have accused Gerald Migdol of conspiracy to commit fraud, computer fraud and aggravation of identity theft while illegally donating to Benjamin’s campaign.
The prosecution alleges that Benjamin, a former Harlem state senator, and others who acted on his behalf or on his behalf were involved in a series of lies and deception to hide a plan that lasted from 2019 to 2021.
They forged election donor forms, deceived municipal regulators, and provided false information on inspection forms submitted by Benjamin when he was being considered for appointment as lieutenant governor, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors have not yet filed any charges against Benjamin. His campaign claimed at the time of Migdol’s arrest that he had received invalid donations once he was found.
It was recently reported that Benjamin received financial calls before Hochul elected him as lieutenant governor.
Prior to Benjamin’s arrest, Hochul defended him, saying he had “more confidence” last week. On Monday, he said he did not know the call when he called Benjamin as his number 2.
Benjamin was the second black lieutenant governor of the state. In his career in state law, he has focused on criminal justice reform and affordable housing. His jurisdiction covers most of Central Harlem, where he was born and raised to immigrant parents in the Caribbean.
This scandal is the latest development in the long history of Albanian lawmakers and other leaders falling into misconduct.
Cuomo’s governor’s resignation not only came amid allegations of sexual harassment, but his administration erred in the number of New Yorkers who died in a nursing home because of COVID-19.
In 2008, the then governor. Eliot Spitzer resigned during the prostitution investigation.
Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, one of the most influential people in the state government, resigned in 2015 after being arrested on federal corruption charges.
Republican State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, who for some time shared power with Silver, was convicted of extortion, fraud and corruption.
Source: Huffpost
