(Photo : Michael M. Santiago)
Federal officials are looking into whether New York lieutenant governor Brian Benjamin was involved in a shady campaign funding operation reportedly carried out by one of his longstanding allies and supporters.
Federal officials are looking into whether New York lieutenant governor Brian Benjamin was involved in a shady campaign funding operation reportedly carried out by one of his longstanding allies and supporters.
Lt. Gov. Benjamin's discretionary financing to his Harlem district as a state senator is also being investigated by federal authorities.
Authorities Seek if NY Lt. Gov. Benjamin Was Involved With Corrupion Activities
Federal prosecutors and FBI public-corruption officers want to know if Benjamin was involved in the false contributions that accused Harlem real-estate mogul Gerald Migdol who reportedly attempted to send to the then-state segregation fund. Federal prosecutors have sent subpoenas to the New York State Senate and Benjamin's campaign advisers as part of the probe.
On Friday, investigators from the Southern District of New York had recently subpoenaed state officials and State Senate workers in connection with grants that Benjamin had arranged in his previous Harlem district. The probe is tied to cash doled out under the State and Municipal Facilities Program (SAM) a lump sum provision in the state budget managed by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, according to the source.
On Sunday, The New York Times reported that with regards to the campaign-finance issue, after Migdol was indicted late last year, SDNY prosecutors subsequently issued several grand-jury subpoenas seeking records from Benjamin's campaign committee, some of its paid staffers, and firms consulting for the campaign, according to three people with direct knowledge of those actions.
It's unknown if Migdol is collaborating with federal officials, or if Benjamin will face charges. "Neither [Benjamin] nor his campaign are being accused of any crime, and they are willing to fully cooperate with authorities," a representative for Benjamin said in a statement, according to Intelligencer.
NY Prosecutors File Subpoenas Against Brian Benjamin's Campaign Committee
Three persons familiar with the situation said prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have filed grand jury subpoenas for papers from Benjamin's campaign committee, paid workers, and consulting businesses. Prosecutors have lately started looking for records from the state Senate, where Benjamin had served and represented Harlem before being appointed lieutenant governor by Gov. Kathy Hochul when she took office.
Benjamin has not been charged with any wrongdoing, but Gerald Migdol, a Harlem real estate investor who was charged with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and other crimes last year, was accused of devising a scheme to misrepresent or conceal multiple illegal contributions to Benjamin's campaign.
It's unclear whether Migdol has consented to assist with prosecutors; however, there have been hints that he may be doing so because the same prosecutors are prosecuting Midgol and Benjamin's cases, and subpoenas were issued shortly after his detention.
When asked about the subpoenas, a representative for Benjamin's campaign for lieutenant governor referred to a statement made at the time of Migdol's arrest, as per The Hill.
Legislators and advocates have criticized New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's proposed modifications to the state's bail system. Hochul's 10-point proposal includes measures such as enabling police to arrest people for minor repeat offenses, increasing the list of offenses eligible for bail, and giving judges greater authority in deciding whether or not to grant bail.
Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin of New York visited PIX11 Morning News in-studio on Sunday to discuss bail reform, budget talks, and other topics, PIX11 reported.
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