Brian A Benjamin

Brian A. Benjamin, New York’s No. 2 official to Gov. Kathy Hochul, was charged in a federal indictment with bribery, fraud and falsification of records while a state senator. The following day he resigned as Lieutenant Governor. 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. The Harlem real estate investor who illegally assisted his campaign, Gerald Migdol, was not listed by name in the indictment. Mr. Benjamin will almost certainly face pressure to resign from office. Even if he were to step down, he will likely remain on the ballot in June 2022. A graduate of Ivy League schools, Mr. Benjamin, spent much of his career in banking and affordable housing development before winning a State Senate seat representing most of Harlem in 2017.