Brian Benjamin

Brian Benjamin, who resigned this afternoon, was arrested earlier today and charged with conspiring “to direct state funds to a Harlem real estate investor ...

When Migdol was arrested in the fall, a spokesman for Benjamin’s campaign for comptroller told the Times that Benjamin would fully cooperate with authorities and that “as soon as the campaign discovered these contributions were improperly sourced, they donated them to the campaign finance board.” As late as last week, when Benjamin was meeting with prosecutors, his top aides were reportedly telling allies that he expected to be cleared. His 70th birthday party in February 2020 was attended not only by Benjamin (then a state senator), but Letitia James, Representative Adriano Espaillat, State Senator Robert Jackson, Assemblymembers Al Taylor and Robert Rodriguez, and Hazel N. Dukes, the president of the New York State chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. Migdol, his wife, and his son have collectively given James’s campaign for attorney general $30,000 since 2019, money that she told the Albany Times Union after Migdol’s arrest that she would return. “Campaign finance-board records show Benjamin’s campaign identified 21 of the contributions Murphy steered to Benjamin as match-eligible — adding up to $16,800 in possible public dollars,” according to the City. The indictment accuses Benjamin of conspiring “to direct a state-funded grant to an organization controlled by a real estate developer in exchange for campaign contributions.” Benjamin also, according to the indictment, “engaged in a series of lies and deceptions” to cover things up, including lying on his background check. He shut down his company in 1990 when the market crashed and went to work for GFI Realty, and in the mid-’90s began buying properties again — this time, Harlem brownstones, which were readily available for comparatively little money. The Harlem real-estate investor, Gerald Migdol, who was arrested for his role in the scheme this past November and was identified in the indictment only as “CC-1,” short for “co-conspirator 1,” has apparently been cooperating.

New York Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin, a former developer, was arrested in connection to campaign finance fraud charges.

The arrest and indictment complicates Hochul’s campaign for her first four-year term. Benjamin was a past chairman of the community board that would issue a recommendation on the variance. When a staffer requested the names from Benjamin, the senator emailed back, “What happens if someone refuses to provide the information?” Rather, he presented an oversized novelty check to the organization at a September 2019 ceremony for that amount, with his signature on it. It also accuses him of covering up the scheme with lies and deceptions, including on the vetting forms he filled out prior to his selection in August as Hochul’s lieutenant governor. Two $10,000 checks came from relatives of the developer and one $5,000 check from an LLC he controlled, the indictment alleges.

The lieutenant governor's resignation following campaign finance indictment leaves Hochul running on a shared ticket, with messy options for distancing ...

Benjamin’s arrest harkens back to the days of “Albany dysfunction,” said another Democratic strategist. “The governor’s job now is to try to get control of this as quickly as possible. While a largely ceremonial post, the lieutenant governor position has been a springboard to power as scandal-scarred governors have resigned in disgrace. Benjamin’s arrest took place on the same day as a mass subway shooting in Brooklyn, “adding to the sense that things are out of control,” said Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic political consultant. It has nothing to do with the current term in office — it’s about nominating him for the next term in office,” said Ali Najmi, an election lawyer. “He will focus his energies on explaining in court why his actions were laudable — not criminal,” Gatta said in the statement. That’s unless a few key things happen — Benjamin moves out of state, is nominated for another office and declines the LG nomination, or dies. “This is a game of optics. “It’s incumbent on the governor who really prided herself on busting in after her predecessor, vowing to separate herself from the ethical and nefarious politics that marked the Cuomo era — this is a testing moment for her to show voters what that means.” “This is the moment that calls for the governor to take a step back and not only look at the seriousness of the allegations against the lieutenant governor that she hand-picked, but also the culture in Albany that fosters and allows such a casual relationship with big money donors,” said Sochie Nnaemeka, Director of the New York Working Families Party. That could leave Hochul in a tricky place. She was adamant as recently as last Thursday that she had “the utmost confidence” in Benjamin and reassured reporters that he would continue to be her running mate.

Benjamin, a Democrat, was arrested on bribery charges earlier in the day Tuesday.

Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, a western New York Republican, said he was "glad" Benjamin decided to resign. Asked about Benjamin during an interview on Fox 5, New York City Mayor Eric Adams — a former state senator — said, “I think right now it is up to the governor and lieutenant governor. Earlier Tuesday, Benjamin pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud, bribery and falsification of records in Manhattan federal court. But as of now, Benjamin remains on the June 28 Democratic primary ballot unless Democrats can find a legal loophole to remove him. It was Hochul herself who put Benjamin, a Democrat and former state senator, in his position as lieutenant governor. “New Yorkers deserve absolute confidence in their government, and I will continue working every day to deliver for them."

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin resigned Tuesday in the wake of his arrest in a federal corruption investigation, Gov.

The terms of his release call for his travel to be restricted and bar him from returning to the state capitol in Albany. Before Benjamin’s arrest and resignation, Hochul had defended him, saying last week she had the “utmost confidence” in him. Two months after Benjamin became lieutenant governor, a real estate developer who steered campaign contributions toward Benjamin’s failed bid for New York City comptroller was indicted. During his state Legislature career, he emphasized criminal justice reform and affordable housing. Hochul, also a Democrat, was Cuomo’s lieutenant governor. He was released and bail was set at $250,000.

ALBANY — Lt. Gov. Brian A. Benjamin has resigned after his Tuesday arrest on charges of campaign finance fraud, according to the governor's office.

By Carol Tannenhauser. Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin, formerly a New York state senator from the Upper West Side, “surrendered early Tuesday morning to face a ...

Benjamin was first elected to the New York State Senate in a May 2017 special election. The investor was arrested on federal charges in November. Apparently, the investor is talking.

New York Democratic Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin has been indicted on charges including bribery and related offenses in connection with his alleged participation ...

mentioned an unnamed candidate called "Candidate-1," and alleges Migdol took part in a scheme to conceal the sources of contributions made to that candidate's campaign. Benjamin is also accused of lying on a background check that followed Hochul's decision to make him her top deputy. Prosecutors claim Benjamin called the real estate developer two hours after he submitted the questionnaire, for the first time in six months. Prosecutors allege that the campaign ultimately did not provide information on who owned the company associated with the developer to election officials. The non-profit organization donated school supplies and other resources to public school programs and students in Harlem, the indictment states. CNN has reached out to a spokesperson for Benjamin and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's office for comment.

Brian A. Benjamin, New York's No. 2 official to Gov. Kathy Hochul, will face a federal charge that he conspired to commit bribery while a state senator.

The decision was widely seen as a way for Ms. Hochul, a white moderate from Buffalo, to expand her appeal to nonwhite voters in New York City ahead of this year’s elections. (Mr. Benjamin later refunded the suspect contributions and reached an agreement to repay the campaign expenses in question.) State records and a Facebook photo posted by Mr. Migdol at the time show Mr. Benjamin presenting him with an oversized cardboard check for $50,000 for the charity, Friends of Public School Harlem, in September 2019. Mr. Benjamin, who rose from being the chairman of the Central Harlem community board, was considered a rising star. They accused him of making straw donations in the name of individuals, including his 2-year-old grandchild, who did not consent to them, and of reimbursing others for the cost of their contributions. Mr. Benjamin said recently that he had been cooperating with investigators, who had issued subpoenas in recent weeks to the State Senate in Albany and people who had advised his comptroller campaign. The duties of the lieutenant governor position vary by administration. He finished fourth last year in the Democratic primary for comptroller. But the Harlem real estate investor who illegally assisted his campaign, Gerald Migdol, while not listed by name in the indictment, is identified as “CC-1,” short for co-conspirator 1. Still, she took office last year promising to end an era of impropriety in Albany, and selecting Mr. Benjamin, 45, was among her first major decisions as governor. Mr. Benjamin will almost certainly face pressure to resign from office. The investor was arrested on federal charges in November.

Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin was arrested Tuesday in connection to a scheme to funnel illegal contributions to a past campaign.

“Lt. Gov. Benjamin must resign immediately because he’s under a cloud of criminality and we can’t have another distraction like we had in the past year (with Cuomo,)" Tedisco said. It's our obligation to uphold the rule of law." Benjamin told Migdol he intended to procure that funding for Migdol's nonprofit, according to the indictment. This included falsifying campaign forms, misleading city regulators and repeatedly lying on vetting forms he filled out as part of the appointment process for the lieutenant governor role, Williams said. Contact Sarah at [email protected] or on Twitter @Sjtaddeo. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. "Public corruption erodes people's confidence and faith in government. More recently, federal officials subpoenaed the state Senate, seeking information about Benjamin’s direction of discretionary state funding in his former Senate district. It was widely believed to be Benjamin at the time. About a month later, Migdol would make campaign contributions to Benjamin's campaign via checks written in the name of relatives who did not share his last name, and in the name of an LLC Migdol controlled, in an attempt to conceal the origin of the contributions, according to court paperwork. In it, Benjamin is accused of conspiring with a real estate developer — or Migdol, who is referred to as "CC-1," or co-conspirator 1, in the document — to obtain illegal contributions to his unsuccessful campaign for New York City Comptroller, from at least 2019 to 2021, according to the indictment. Benjamin is now accused of directing public funds to a Harlem investor, Gerald Migdol, in exchange for fraudulent contributions to Benjamin’s campaign for city comptroller last year, according to a federal indictment stemming from an investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York and New York City's Department of Investigations. Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin was arrested Tuesday on federal bribery charges related to a scheme to funnel illegal contributions to his campaign for the office of New York City Comptroller in 2021, according to multiple reports.

Federal prosecutors allege the former state senator participated in "bribery" with donor charged with scamming NYC's public matching funds system.

The indictment spells out that in response to THE CITY’s reporting, Migdol immediately stopped trying to get the discretionary funds. But Benjamin’s team ended up returning over $13,000 in donations from over 60 contributions on Feb. 25 — all made by money order. The indictment states that Migdol continued secretly funding these donations, including from individuals he would reimburse. In 2019, Migdol used two relatives’ names and a limited liability corporation he controlled to steer three donations totaling $25,000 to Benjamin’s senate campaign. His then 2-year-old’s purported signature was found on a money order submitted by the campaign to New York City’s Campaign Finance Board and obtained by THE CITY, one of dozens of money order donations the Benjamin campaign returned following THE CITY’s reporting. In the letter, attorneys for the Benjamin campaign vowed to return a pool of 23 donations totaling $5,750 to the city Campaign Finance Board and claimed to only become aware of the issues after THE CITY questioned the donations. Migdol forged the signatures of the two relatives on campaign contribution forms in front of Benjamin, the indictment states. The day after THE CITY’s report highlighting multiple dubious donations, the Benjamin campaign issued in response what the indictment labeled a “misleading” letter to CFB claiming they had no reason to question the legitimacy of the donations. Even after THE CITY’s report, Benjamin continued hitting up Migdol for support, calling up the developer and promising that if Migdol would write a check to a particular political committee, he would help him obtain a zoning variance that Benjamin warned would be “very difficult” to obtain. In recent months, the scope of the investigation grew to include state grants Benjamin directed to a non-profit tied to a campaign donor during his time in the Legislature, with prosecutors issuing multiple subpoenas to Senate officials and state agencies. THE CITY first brought the suspicious donations into public view in January 2021, after campaign finance filings from Benjamin’s campaign for New York City comptroller showed stacks of money orders sent to the campaign via a Harlem philanthropist, Gerald Migdol — including in the names of multiple people who said they did not give. Benjamin faces five charges for bribery and other “related offenses” tied to his involvement in a scheme to secure campaign contributions in exchange for securing a $50,000 state grant for one of his major donors.

New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin has been arrested in a federal corruption investigation. The U.S. Attorney's office said Benjamin was arrested Tuesday on ...

“I’m calling on Gov. Hochul and Senate Democrats to stop hiding from the truth and join me in demanding Brian Benjamin’s resignation.” During his state Legislature career, he emphasized criminal justice reform and affordable housing. But this is not the place but I will be addressing it very shortly,” Hochul said. Just over two months later, a real estate developer who steered campaign contributions toward Benjamin’s failed bid for New York City comptroller was indicted. The indictment said Benjamin, formerly a state senator from Harlem, and others acting at his direction or on his behalf also engaged in a series of lies and deceptions to cover up the scheme that stretched from 2019 to 2021. The Democrat was accused in an indictment of participating in a scheme to obtain campaign contributions from a real estate developer 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.

New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin was arrested on charges related to a campaign finance fraud investigation, two people familiar with the matter told NBC New ...

“Neither Lieutenant Governor Benjamin nor his campaign are being accused of any wrongdoing and they are prepared to fully cooperate with authorities,” his office said at the time. "By doing so, Benjamin abused his power and effectively used state funds to support his political campaigns." An indictment alleges that Benjamin was given campaign contributions from a Harlem real estate developer. The developer allegedly provided Benjamin with two $10,000 personal checks in the names of relatives who did not share the developer's last name. Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner of the U.S. Department of the Interior, said Benjamin betrayed the public trust when he used his position of power to serve his own interests. "As alleged, Brian Benjamin used his power as a New York state senator to secure a state-funded grant in exchange for contributions to his own political campaigns," U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said in a statement.

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York ...

On or about August 17, 2021, while being considered to be the next Lieutenant Governor of the State of New York, BENJAMIN submitted responses to an executive appointment questionnaire that contained questions addressing, among other things, BENJAMIN’s relationship with political contributors. A member of BENJAMIN’s staff sent BENJAMIN an email listing LLCs requiring additional disclosures, specifically identifying the LLC used by CC-1 as being associated with CC-1, and asked BENJAMIN for help obtaining ownership information those LLCs. BENJAMIN responded to that email by asking, “What happens if someone refuses to provide the information?” Ultimately, BENJAMIN’s senate campaign provided the BOE with ownership information about certain LLCs, but not the LLC used by CC-1. At the time the letter was submitted, however, BENJAMIN knew that the CC-1 Contributions had in fact been procured by CC-1, not Individual-1. In or about February 2020, the CFB informed BENJAMIN’s Comptroller Campaign that certain of the CC-1 Contributions had been deemed ineligible for matching funds because, among other reasons, they were funded by sequentially-numbered money orders. Between October 2019 and January 2021, CC-1 obtained numerous contributions for BENJAMIN’s Comptroller Campaign, many of which were fraudulent (the “CC-1 Contributions”). BENJAMIN communicated with CC-1 about CC-1’s fundraising efforts during that period. Because BENJAMIN had not yet filed a certification regarding his Comptroller Campaign with the New York City Campaign Finance Board (“CFB”), BENJAMIN could accept campaign contributions only to his senate campaign. In particular, BENJAMIN is charged with bribery, honest services wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit those offenses, based on BENJAMIN’s use of his official authority while a New York state senator to direct a state-funded grant to an organization controlled by a real estate developer (“CC-1”) in exchange for campaign contributions made and procured by CC-1. BENJAMIN is also charged with two counts of falsifying records in connection with the preparation of contribution forms that falsely reported certain contributions made by CC-1 as being made by other individuals, and false statements BENJAMIN made in a questionnaire he submitted while seeking to become Lieutenant Governor. BENJAMIN surrendered to the FBI in Manhattan this morning and was presented before United States Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge J. Paul Oetken. As a state campaign, the senate campaign was not eligible for public matching funds available in New York City municipal races. In so doing, he served his own interests at the expense of his constituents, a betrayal of the public trust and a violation of federal law. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Brian Benjamin used his power as a New York state senator to secure a state-funded grant in exchange for contributions to his own political campaigns. On or about May 30, 2019, the Senate Majority Leader and her staff informed certain senators, including BENJAMIN, that they had been awarded additional discretionary funding that each could allocate to organizations in their districts for specified purposes. He allegedly allocated public grant funds to a non-profit controlled by a co-conspirator in exchange for campaign contributions, and then lied to hide this illegal scheme.