{"id":126599,"date":"2022-04-12T22:50:46","date_gmt":"2022-04-12T22:50:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/?p=126599"},"modified":"2022-04-12T22:50:46","modified_gmt":"2022-04-12T22:50:46","slug":"new-york-lieutenant-governor-resigns-after-bribery-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/new-york-lieutenant-governor-resigns-after-bribery-charges\/","title":{"rendered":"New York lieutenant governor resigns after bribery charges"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK (Reuters) -New York Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin, the state\u2019s No. 2 official after Governor Kathy Hochul, resigned on Tuesday after being charged with bribery and fraud for allegedly directing state funds toward a real estate developer in exchange for campaign contributions.<\/p>

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Hochul, who handpicked Benjamin for the lieutenant governor\u2019s job last August, announced the resignation a few hours after the 45-year-old Benjamin pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court to charges in a five-count indictment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the legal process plays out, it is clear to both of us that he cannot continue to serve as lieutenant governor,\u201d Hochul said in a statement. \u201cNew Yorkers deserve absolute confidence in their government, and I will continue working every day to deliver for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Benjamin\u2019s resignation is effective immediately, Hochul said. Lawyers for Benjamin did not immediately respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors said Benjamin in 2019 directed a $50,000 state grant to a non-profit controlled by the developer from the Harlem section of Manhattan, which Benjamin represented at the time as a state senator.<\/p>\n

The developer then sent Benjamin\u2019s reelection campaign thousands of dollars through several checks in the names of relatives and a limited liability company, according to the indictment.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors said the developer also raised money for Benjamin\u2019s unsuccessful 2021 run to become New York City\u2019s comptroller.<\/p>\n

\u201cTaxpayer money for campaign contributions. Quid pro quo. This for that. That\u2019s corruption,\u201d said Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan. \u201cPublic corruption remains a problem in New York. It is a bipartisan problem. It is an ongoing problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Harlem real estate developer was not identified by name in the indictment.<\/p>\n

Just over two months after Benjamin became lieutenant governor, real estate developer Gerald Migdol was criminally charged with steering illegal campaign contributions to an unnamed candidate for city comptroller. Migdol pleaded not guilty.<\/p>\n

Benjamin faces charges including bribery, wire fraud and falsification of records. His case and Migdol\u2019s are in the same case file.<\/p>\n

U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona Wang released Benjamin on $250,000 bond, and imposed travel restrictions that left him unable to travel to Albany, New York\u2019s state capital, without permission from authorities.<\/p>\n

Benjamin is next due to appear in court on April 19.<\/p>\n

The charges could complicate Hochul\u2019s reelection bid in November.<\/p>\n

Hochul, a Democrat who had been lieutenant governor, replaced Andrew Cuomo as governor last August, when he resigned following an inquiry that found that he had sexually harassed 11 women.<\/p>\n

She faces challenges from New York City Comptroller Jumaane Williams and Long Island U.S. Congressman Tom Suozzi for Democratic gubernatorial nomination.<\/p>\n

Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK (Reuters) -New York Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin, the state\u2019s No. 2 official after Governor Kathy Hochul, resigned on Tuesday after being charged with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":126598,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nNew York lieutenant governor resigns after bribery charges - Fin2me<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/new-york-lieutenant-governor-resigns-after-bribery-charges\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New York lieutenant governor resigns after bribery charges - Fin2me\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"NEW YORK (Reuters) -New York Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin, the state\u2019s No. 2 official after Governor Kathy Hochul, resigned on Tuesday after being charged with [...]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/new-york-lieutenant-governor-resigns-after-bribery-charges\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Fin2me\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-04-12T22:50:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/New-York-lieutenant-governor-resigns-after-bribery-charges.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mark\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/new-york-lieutenant-governor-resigns-after-bribery-charges\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/new-york-lieutenant-governor-resigns-after-bribery-charges\/\",\"name\":\"New York lieutenant governor resigns after bribery charges - 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