Benjamin, a Democrat, has been charged with participating in a campaign to receive campaign contributions from a real estate developer in exchange for Benjamin’s agreement to use his influence as a state senator to receive a $ 50,000 grant from a non-profit organization. . controlled by the developer. Faced with charges such as bribery, fraud, conspiracy and falsification of records, Benjamin pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in a Manhattan federal court appearance. He was released on $ 250,000 bail. Two lawyers representing Benjamin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hotsul ousted Benjamin, then a state lawmaker, in September to serve as second in power when he became governor, taking over from Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat. Cuomo resigned amid allegations that he sexually harassed 11 women, which he denied. Hotsul, also a Democrat, was Cuomo’s deputy governor. She is now running for governor in this year’s election, with Benjamin as the candidate. Hotsul, who appeared at a news conference in New York City on Tuesday about the subway shootings, said she would talk about Benjamin later in the day. “We will have a statement out there. I did not have the opportunity to talk to him. I did media interviews this morning. “But this is not the place, but I will address it very soon,” said Hotsul. Two months after Benjamin became deputy governor, a real estate developer was accused of directing campaign contributions to Benjamin’s failed bid for New York auditor. Federal authorities have accused Gerald Migdol of conspiracy to commit wiretapping, wiretapping and aggravated identity theft by illegally donating to Benjamin’s campaign. The indictment alleges that Benjamin, a former senator from Haarlem, and others who acted under his direction or on his behalf were also involved in a series of lies and deceptions to cover up the plan, which ran from 2019 to 2021. They falsified campaign donor forms, misled municipal regulators and provided false information on Benjamin’s control forms while he was believed to be appointed deputy governor, the indictment said. Prosecutors had not previously charged Benjamin, and his campaign said at the time of Migdol’s arrest that he had lost any unsuitable donations as soon as they were discovered. More recently, reports have surfaced that Benjamin had been summoned on financial matters, even before Hotsul was appointed deputy governor. Republican President Nick Langworth said in a statement that “Hotsul has chosen a dirty politician to serve as her partner in government and vice president.” “Brian Benjamin’s shady dealings and corruption were well documented, but Hotsul turned a blind eye and let him oust him,” Langworth said. Hotsul said in a press conference on Monday that she did not know about the summonses when she chose Benjamin to be her No. 2. He said last week that he had the “highest confidence” in Benjamin. “This is an independent study that relates to other people and works fully with them. “He is my potential partner,” Hocuhl told a news conference on Thursday. Republican minority lawmakers – Senate leader Rob Ortega and Assembly leader Will Barkley – have called on Benjamin to resign. “Kathy Hotsul and the Senate Democrats can tolerate this corruption, but neither can New Yorkers,” Ort said. “I urge Governor Hochul and the Senate Democrats to stop hiding from the truth and join me in demanding the resignation of Brian Benjamin.” Hochul’s representatives, Senate leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie did not immediately comment Tuesday when asked if Benjamin should resign. If Benjamin resigns, he will likely appear on the ballot for the 2022 Democratic primary, even if Hotsul chooses a new deputy governor, according to state election law. “There are only three ways to get out of the ballot: death, rejection or exclusion,” State Election Board spokesman John Conklin said in an email. Benjamin was the second black lieutenant governor of the state. During his career in the state legislature, he emphasized criminal justice reform and affordable housing. His district included most of central Haarlem, where he was born and raised by immigrant Caribbean parents. He has a degree in public policy from Brown University and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School and has worked as an affordable housing developer.
Hayes reported from New York. Associated Press writers Deepti Hajela and Larry Neumeister contributed from New York and Michael Hill from Albany.
