Alert: NY Lt. Governor Arrested on Federal Bribery Charges
The second-highest-ranking official in New York has been arrested on federal bribery charges. New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin (D) surrendered to law enforcement on Tuesday morning as he was facing a federal indictment…
The second-highest-ranking official in New York has been arrested on federal bribery charges.
New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin (D) surrendered to law enforcement on Tuesday morning as he was facing a federal indictment, according to The New York Times.
The Times reports, “The indictment, the result of an investigation by the F.B.I. and the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, accused Mr. Benjamin of conspiring to direct state funds to a Harlem real estate investor in exchange for orchestrating thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions to Mr. Benjamin’s unsuccessful 2021 campaign for New York City comptroller.”
Benjamin ascended to the position after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) became governor in August following the resignation of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) amid allegations of sexual harassment.
As one of her first acts as governor, Hochul selected Benjamin to be the new lieutenant governor.
State Sen. Dan Stec (R) reacted to the news of Benjamin’s arrest in a statement.
He said, “Governor Hochul could have selected ANYONE as her running mate. Instead, she stood by and recently reaffirmed her support for a Lieutenant Governor that’s now been indicted on federal bribery charges and soliciting campaign donations in exchange for state grants.”
“This is yet another sign of the Governor’s suspect judgment and the culture of corruption surrounding Albany Democrats,” he continued.