{"id":1432761,"date":"2022-04-12T09:59:52","date_gmt":"2022-04-12T13:59:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1432761"},"modified":"2022-04-12T10:00:05","modified_gmt":"2022-04-12T14:00:05","slug":"ny-lt-gov-arrested-in-campaign-finance-fraud-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ny-lt-gov-arrested-in-campaign-finance-fraud-scheme\/","title":{"rendered":"NY Lt. Gov. Arrested in Campaign Finance Fraud Scheme"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fny-lt-gov-arrested-in-campaign-finance-fraud-scheme%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1432761&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.nbcnewyork.com\/2022\/03\/AP22048715173237.jpg?quality=85&#038;strip=all&#038;resize=1200%2C675\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p>New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin has surrendered to authorities to face campaign finance fraud-related charges in connection with a past campaign, two people familiar with the matter said Tuesday. <\/p>\n<p>Benjamin is expected to appear in Manhattan federal court later Tuesday. Gov. Kathy Hochul&#8217;s office couldn&#8217;t immediately be reached for comment on the arrest, nor could a representative for Benjamin. <\/p>\n<p>His arrest comes after reports<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnewyork.com\/news\/local\/prosecutors-fbi-looking-into-ny-lt-gov-benjamins-campaign-finances-sources\/3617966\/\"> that Manhattan federal prosecutors and the FBI were investigating whether Benjamin knowingly engaged in a campaign finance fraud scheme<\/a>. Subpoenas were issued in connection with the investigation, two sources familiar with the subpoenas said at the time.<\/p>\n<p>The investigators also looked into whether Benjamin helped dole out state money to contributors and\/or their projects as part of the alleged fraud.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesman for the U.S. attorney and a spokesman for the FBI both previously declined WNBC requests for comment regarding the investigation into Benjamin. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins also did not return requests for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Benjamin was appointed lieutenant governor by Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2021, shortly after losing a primary bid for New York City comptroller. He previously served as the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nysenate.gov\/senators\/brian-benjamin\">New York State Senator for District 30<\/a>, which is made up of Harlem, East Harlem (El Barrio), the Upper West Side, Washington Heights, Hamilton Heights and Morningside Heights.<\/p>\n<p>The investigation into Benjamin came after <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnewyork.com\/news\/local\/crime-and-courts\/harlem-mogul-with-ties-to-ny-lt-gov-benjamin-indicted-for-campaign-finance-fraud\/3411494\/\" target=\"_blank\">the FBI arrested his fundraiser, Gerald Migdol, in November<\/a>. He is charged with wire fraud in connection with an alleged campaign fraud scheme linked to past Benjamin fundraising. <\/p>\n<p>A lawyer for Migdol did not return requests for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Following the confirmation that Benjamin was being investigated, the lieutenant governor&#8217;s office referred questions to its Nov. 19 press statement issued at the time of Migdol&#8217;s arrest in which it said it was prepared to cooperate. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Neither Lieutenant Governor Benjamin nor his campaign are being accused of any wrongdoing and they are prepared to fully cooperate with authorities,&#8221; it said. &#8220;As soon as the campaign discovered that these contributions were improperly sourced, they donated them to the Campaign Finance Board, pursuant to guidance obtained from the CFB.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Details of the investigation were first reported by the Daily News, and subsequently the New York Times. <\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-nbc-section-heading\">NEW YORK POLITICAL SCANDALS<\/h2>\n<p>Benjamin&#8217;s arrest is just the latest scandal in New York&#8217;s political realm.<\/p>\n<p>Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, one of the most powerful politicians in the state for decades before being ousted and sent to prison on corruption charges, fall from grace was also due to misconduct. <\/p>\n<p>Silver, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnewyork.com\/news\/politics\/sheldon-silver-disgraced-former-ny-assembly-speaker-dies-at-77-source\/3512277\/\">who passed away behind bars in earlier this year<\/a>, at one time was one of the three most powerful state officials in New York. He was the Assembly\u2019s leader for more than two decades before his abrupt ouster in 2015 after the corruption allegations emerged.<\/p>\n<p>He was ultimately convicted in a scheme that involved a type of illegal back-scratching that has long plagued Albany. He supported legislation that benefited real estate developers he knew. In return, they referred tax business to a law firm that employed Silver, which then paid him fees.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo also faced a political scandal that lead him to resign amid sexual harrassment allegations.<\/p>\n<p>While, Cuomo stepped down last year, it appears he is contemplating a political comeback and dangling the possibility he may run for his former job just six months after he resigned amid sexual harassment allegations.<\/p>\n<p>Cuomo <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnewyork.com\/news\/politics\/cuomo-says-he-is-open-to-running-again-despite-resignation\/3604225\/\">gave a campaign-style speech in March<\/a> to a friendly audience of about 100 people in the Bronx, where he framed his fall from power as \u201ccancel culture\u201d run amok.<\/p>\n<p>Asked after his speech if he would run for office, Cuomo told reporters he is \u201copen to all options.\u201d He also commented on a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnewyork.com\/decision-2022\/cuomo-trails-hochul-by-just-4-points-in-latest-democratic-primary-poll-for-governor\/3593721\/\">recent poll that showed him competitive in a hypothetical New York primary<\/a>, saying that he found the results &#8220;gratifying, but I&#8217;ve never lived by the polls.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Below is a list of other high-ranking New York officials who have resigned or faced jail time in the wake of scandal:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Oct. 17, 1913<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; In the history of the state, only one governor has ever been impeached.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nysl.nysed.gov\/mssc\/sulzer\/index.html\">William Sulzer<\/a>, the 39th governor of New York, had been in the seat for less than a year before he was impeached after being accused of failing to report thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and commingling campaign funds with personal funds. He was convicted by a special court and removed from office on Oct. 17, 1913.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dec. 22, 2006<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2006\/12\/22\/nyregion\/22cnd-hevesi.html\" target=\"_blank\">NYS Comptroller Alan Hevesi resigns<\/a>\u00a0and pleads guilty to a felony charge of defrauding the government; later charges result in a prison sentence.<\/li>\n<li><strong>March 12, 2008<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2008\/03\/12\/nyregion\/12cnd-resign.html\" target=\"_blank\">Governor Eliot Spitzer announces his resignation<\/a>, effective March 17, after being caught in a prostitution sting in Washington, DC. \u00a0(His successor, David Paterson, had\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnewyork.com\/news\/local\/paterson-wont-be-charged-in-yankee-tickets-rap\/2123305\/\">several scandals of his own,<\/a>\u00a0including accusations of perjury, witness tampering and even rumors of sex and drug escapades that were never proven, but they did not lead to his resignation.)<\/li>\n<li><strong>July 18, 2008<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; NYS Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.timesunion.com\/projects\/2020\/joseph-bruno-timeline\/\" target=\"_blank\">resigns his Senate seat,<\/a>\u00a0after stepping down as Senate leader on June 24, amid federal corruption charges; later convicted on two felony counts. \u00a0The US Supreme Court overturned his conviction; a later retrial resulted in acquittal.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>June 20, 2011<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; Former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner &#8212; a once-rising star in the Democratic Party who served nearly 12 years in Congress &#8212; had a dramatic and sordid fall from grace after he sent a lewd picture of himself over Twitter in 2011\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnewyork.com\/news\/local\/weiner-resigns-congress-scandal-photos\/1921276\/\">and resigned after the behavior came to light<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Jan. 30, 2015<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/silver-submits-resignation-letter-1422671601\" target=\"_blank\">resigns as Speaker,<\/a>\u00a0effective February 2, following his arrest on federal corruption charges. \u00a0Later that year, he is convicted on seven counts. Although that conviction was overturned, he was convicted again in a later trial. \u00a0He is currently in federal prison.<\/li>\n<li><strong>May 11, 2015<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Dean Skelos\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2015\/05\/12\/nyregion\/dean-skelos-leader-of-senate-to-vacate-post-in-albany.html\" target=\"_blank\">steps down from his position<\/a>\u00a0as Majority Leader of the NYS Senate, a week after his arrest on federal corruption charges along with his son. \u00a0Later that year, he was convicted, automatically losing his seat. \u00a0 An appeals court overturned his conviction, but he was found guilty again on retrial. \u00a0Last year he was released from prison to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest after testing positive for COVID.<\/li>\n<li><strong>May 7, 2018<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 NYS Attorney General Eric Schneiderman resigns\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/news\/news-desk\/four-women-accuse-new-yorks-attorney-general-of-physical-abuse\" target=\"_blank\">hours after the New Yorker published an article<\/a>\u00a0detailing allegations of physical abuse.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin has surrendered to authorities to face campaign finance fraud-related charges in connection with a past campaign, two people familiar with the matter said Tuesday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":498,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1432761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1432761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/498"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1432761"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1432761\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1432761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1432761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1432761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}