{"id":1433898,"date":"2022-04-12T17:59:37","date_gmt":"2022-04-12T21:59:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1433898"},"modified":"2022-04-12T17:59:44","modified_gmt":"2022-04-12T21:59:44","slug":"new-york-democratic-lieutenant-governor-resigns-after-arrest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-democratic-lieutenant-governor-resigns-after-arrest\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Democratic Lieutenant Governor Resigns After Arrest"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/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%2Fnew-york-democratic-lieutenant-governor-resigns-after-arrest%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=1433898&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:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2022\/04\/Brian-Benjamin-.jpg?w=1200&#038;h=800&#038;ixlib=react-9.3.0\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p>New York Democratic Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin resigned Tuesday afternoon after being arrested by authorities on campaign finance-related federal charges. New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) accepted his resignation, despite saying she had \u201cutmost confidence\u201d in him just last Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have accepted Brian Benjamin\u2019s resignation effective immediately,\u201d Hochul said in a statement. \u201cWhile the legal process plays out, it is clear to both of us that he cannot continue to serve as Lieutenant Governor. New Yorkers deserve absolute confidence in their government, and I will continue working every day to deliver for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fox 5 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox5ny.com\/news\/new-york-lt-gov-brian-benjamin-arrested-in-campaign-donation-scheme\">reported<\/a> that after facing \u201ccharges including bribery, fraud, conspiracy and falsification of records, Benjamin pleaded not guilty Tuesday at an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court. He was released and bail was set at $250,000.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tuesday morning, The Daily Wire also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/breaking-new-york-democratic-lt-governor-arrested\">noted<\/a> that NBC News 4 reported that his arrest came \u201cafter reports that Manhattan federal prosecutors and the FBI were investigating whether Benjamin knowingly engaged in a campaign finance fraud scheme. Subpoenas were issued in connection with the investigation, two sources familiar with the subpoenas said at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During the vetting process for the lieutenant governor appointment in 2021, Benjamin had failed to notify Hochul of a subpoena that he had received from a district attorney in relation to his aide, Gerry Migdol, WSKG\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wskg.org\/new-york-governor-stands-by-lieutenant-after-he-fails-to-tell-her-about-subpoena\/\">reported<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p data-uw-styling-context=\"true\"><em>Benjamin was a state senator when the Manhattan district attorney subpoenaed him last year about an alleged scheme run by a former campaign aide.<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-uw-styling-context=\"true\"><em>The aide, Gerry Migdol, allegedly solicited phony campaign donations so that Benjamin \u2014 who was then running for New York City comptroller \u2014 could boost his fundraising numbers to receive public matching funds.<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-uw-styling-context=\"true\"><em>Migdol was arrested and charged with soliciting fake donations.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-uw-styling-context=\"true\">Benjamin had recently been out of the public eye until last Thursday when he appeared alongside Hochul for the first time since March 22. Benjamin maintained he had done nothing wrong regarding the subpoena. WSKG also noted\u00a0on Monday:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p data-uw-styling-context=\"true\"><em>Benjamin told reporters that he failed to tell Hochul of the subpoena when she was vetting him to be her lieutenant governor last August. He said he participated in a background check by the State Police, and thought that was enough.<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-uw-styling-context=\"true\"><em>\u201cThe State Police did a thorough investigation, I participated in that,\u201d Benjamin said. \u201cI followed the process as it was supposed to be followed.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-uw-styling-context=\"true\"><em>Benjamin has denied any wrongdoing.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-uw-styling-context=\"true\">WSKG cited The New York Times, reporting that \u201cfederal prosecutors are looking at whether Benjamin steered state grants for his district to financially benefit Migdol.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-uw-styling-context=\"true\">According to the indictment, Benjamin\u2019s alleged misdeeds occurred between 2019 and 2021, Fox 5 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox5ny.com\/news\/new-york-lt-gov-brian-benjamin-arrested-in-campaign-donation-scheme\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-uw-styling-context=\"true\">Last week, Hochul told reporters that she supported her second-in-command despite the subpoena. Prior to his arrest, New York\u2019s governor said he would stay on the ballot for this year\u2019s gubernatorial election.<\/p>\n<p data-uw-styling-context=\"true\">Now, it is unclear who will take his place as Hochul\u2019s running mate in the 2022 election.<\/p>\n<p data-uw-styling-context=\"true\"><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies for breaking news, investigative reporting, sports, podcasts, in-depth analysis, books, and entertainment for a reason: because we believe in what we do. We believe in our country, in the value of truth and the freedom to speak it, and in the right to challenge tyranny wherever we see it. Believe the same? <a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Become a member now and join our mission.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New York Democratic Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin resigned Tuesday afternoon after being arrested by authorities on campaign finance-related federal charges. New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) accepted his resignation, despite<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":326,"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-1433898","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\/1433898","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\/326"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1433898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1433898\/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=1433898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1433898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1433898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}