I guess New York Democrats want to be as corrupt as those in Illinois. You have a long way to go, Albany. Illinois had and has former governors in jail!
Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin faces a federal indictment including charges of bribery, fraud, and falsification of records connected to a previous campaign when he served as a state senator. From The New York Times:
The five-count indictment 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.“In so doing, Benjamin abused his authority as a New York State senator, engaging in a bribery scheme using public funds for his own corrupt purposes,” prosecutors charged in the indictment. The investor was arrested on federal charges in November.The indictment — the result of an investigation by the F.B.I., U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and the city’s Department of Investigation — also charged that Mr. Benjamin subsequently “engaged in a series of lies and deceptions to cover up the scheme,” including falsifying campaign donation forms, misleading New York City authorities and giving false information as part of a background check to become lieutenant governor last year.
Benjamin admitted to The New York Post in March that federal investigators about the scheme:
Benjamin spoke with federal prosecutors about conspiracy and wire fraud charges filed in November against Harlem landlord and lawyer Gerald Migdol, who is accused of making illegal, “straw” donations to Benjamin’s campaign.In November, Migdol was arrested for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to funnel illegal campaign contributions to Benjamin’s 2021 Democratic comptroller primary bid. Migdol made contributions by money order in names that were not his own and reimbursed donors who gave money to a comptroller candidate from 2019 to 2021, according to the indictment.
Gov. Kathy Hochul chose Benjamin for his position and her running mate for this election last August when she took over for disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
I doubt Hochul will keep Benjamin on the ticket. She came under pressure about her decision when told the feds questioned Benjamin.
Benjamin will remain on the ballot in June against two primary challengers. The Democratic Party chose him as their designated nominee, which means “his name can only be removed at this point if he were to move out of the state, die or seek another office.”
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