New York Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin (below right) was indicted on bribery, wire fraud, and falsification of records charges. He turned himself in for arrest and resigned within hours.
NEW YORK – New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s second-in-command pleaded not guilty to bribery charges Tuesday after being indicted for allegedly funneling illicit donations to one of his past campaigns. Benjamin entered the plea in federal court in Manhattan before being released on a $250,000 bond. He surrendered to authorities early in the morning as the indictment was unsealed, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
“While the legal process plays out, it is clear to both of us that he cannot continue to serve as Lieutenant Governor,” Hochul said in an emailed statement. (link)
According to the Washington Post Benjamin was seeking political donations and public matching funds when he enlisted the help of a real estate developer to raise money and disguise its source. In exchange, Benjamin used his official authority to try to steer $50,000 to a charitable organization the developer controlled. A typical quid-pro-quo.
Bon Voyage!
If only he had taken up painting or set up family members to serve on BOD’s of Ukrainian gas companies he would have been in the clear!
Or just hire his daughter…or another to serve in a high position of the government. He could talk to Nancy for some pointers.
Good riddance to bad rubbish. I wonder who will be the next wunderkind NY voters will elect?
When it comes to bribery and corruption, Joe is Number 1.
We may never know the full extent of the Clinton’s.
If you store the corruption on a laptop, it will evade all investigation.
Or you can get on the FBI terror watch list. That seems to also help people evade capture and investigation.
Joe wrote the book.
No. He plagierized it.
Well, Benjamin only wanted to defund the anti-corruption squad!
Had Benjamin just taken Benjamin’s in an envelope, this would never have happened!
Think of it another way. Maybe the police, not wanting to be defunded, decided to do more about it. I think we could use a little more of this. But isn’t this why Soros has been funding the prosecuting attorneys all over the nation? To ensure that the justice system defends corruption?
I wonder what went wrong?
Feathering his future bed? I am beginning to seriously dislike democrat politicians.
Chickens coming back home to roost?
The Democrat Criminal Party
In NY, one down, one to go.
” A typical quid-pro-
quojoe”Pretty soon they’ll be running through corrupt Governors and Lt Governors as fast as Baltimore has been churning through corrupt Mayors and States Attys…..
Few can handle power and authority with high integrity and morality.
“As your counsel, I recommend you change your name to
‘Hunter Biden’‘Hillary Clinton’.”Now THAT’S hilarious.
🙂 🙂
One down, thousands of pols to go.
I bet there are those thousands downing nerve medicine right about now. If they’ll go after a black Lt Governor from New York, everybody else is fair game I’d say. Fingers crossed!!
The penalty is OBVIOUSLY not severe enough. Public bareback flogging MIGHT reduce corruption a bit.
I’ve said pedophiles should have a taste of this in the public square — or even bringing back the stocks, so their neighbors good get a good look at them and mock them. This might be more effective than locking them up in a cozy penitentiary, out of sight.
The problem with this is ALL politicians have campaign accounts that they can draw out of no matter how long ago they started that campaign.
Then when they start a
re-election campaign that’s number 2 account and when they win or not they can legally continue having money pumped into them accounts and live off them indefinitely.
You may be describing “Foundations”. They set them up to be non-profit, so people putting money in gets to deduct it from their taxes. Eventually, the Trustee of the foundation gets to draw a “salary” from the Foundation. Some people would call this a hidden retirement account for politicians. Others would call it just another layer of political corruption.
who did he piss off? Or do Dems just indict black politicians??
He probably had money sent to his campaign that was supposed to be directed to another democrat and he never passed on the money. He violated democrat corruption code.
Forgot the 10% for the big guy?
Turned himself in?
No SWAT? No CNN cameras? No snipers? No battering ram at 0500? No helicopters?
Gosh, let me ponder this…
Maybe he can get a job at CNN, like Andrew McCabe did after losing his FBI job.
““While the legal process plays out, it is clear to both of us that he cannot continue to serve as Lieutenant Governor,” Hochul said in an emailed statement.”
Interesting. Typically the left refuses to resign until the evidence is overwhelmingly hurting the party.
Maybe he’s taking the fall before others are implicated?
Looking at this story last night, I found that the 70 year old Harlem developer (Jerry Migdol) was arrested last fall, so he was probably singing like a bird. My essential New Yorkie-ness (born & raised there) made me wonder if the immediate past Governor had any hand in this. I say this as I watched the rapturous party in Harlem where Kathy Hochul as the new Governor appointed Lt Gov Benjamin, a former NY State Senator and losing candidate for NYC Controller (his campaign funded by sketchy donations with Migdol Organization backing). At this event, Brian Benjamin crowed about how his Brown University and Harvard Law School credentials were not nearly as important to his success as his experience in the streets of Harlem! There was lots of clapping and cheering at this. Gov Kathy was almost orgasmic in her happiness at getting this “Downstate” Black political star to serve as her Lt Gov, as she considers her political future. One of the other people enjoying the moment was the NY State Attorney General, the Black woman (sorry, can’t think of her name) who was so steadfast in wanting Andrew Cuomo brought down for his sexual predations on female staff members. Cuomo recently has said he hasn’t ruled out making another run for Governor! He’s probably licking his chops as this little scandal develops;-) Lots of fireworks on the horizon.
Why do Dems take out the black guy?? Seems quite racist. Didn’t Cuomo kill thousands in nursing homes? Isn’t he making a political comeback? Killing people ok, but not financial schemes? It seems dems don’t stray too far from them hoods.
Politicians hide sources by donating to one campaign who later transfers to another campaign. This hides the true source of funding. My guess is he violated this corruption rule. Hiding the donor is a true art form and keeps politicians and donors from sticking out like sore thumbs. “I just give to everybody…”
Insiders trading.
Good point. Cuomo kills thousands and hangs on for months. This guy does what is common practice among the left, particularly in Chicago, and he’s out the door in a heartbeat.
Something else is going on.
Do we know what triggered the investigation?
I have not read that, or I’ve missed it, which is 7 out of 10 more likely.
The first I heard of anything going on was when the news broke today.
Funny that it wasn’t something being reported on for weeks, huh?
They all like Plantation life.
He didn’t kick back to the right people. This guy’s a loser, this is chump change for novice politicians. The dog catcher has bigger scams.
I am not buying any of this: DEMS worried about corruption in New York state?!
No!
I suspect it is a variation on “an old GESTAPO trick,” i.e. “Shoot one of your own to prove that you’re not one of them.” *
Here: “Arrest one of your own on corruption to prove that you are NOT corrupt!”
“Look! See?! Clean government prevails! No corruption now: everything has been cleaned up!”
No, I do not trust this at all!
* (The lines are from Alfred Hitchcock’s movie North by Northwest. )
Definitely buy what you are saying, the SDNY operates fo the sole purpose of harassing the Trump family. So you can guess what’s coming.
From my time living up in Albany, it’s more like “get this guy out of my way so I can rise up the ranks”. Look how fast the Cuomos were swept out? What other politician factions are in play? This guy Benjamin was Team Obama, early as 2007. Maybe Team Clinton is ready to make a move again.
It’s turtles (corrupt politicians) all the way down.
“It’s nothing personal, it’s strictly politics!”
Yes, DEMS eating each other to reach the top is not unknown!
Love all things Hitch!
So, Gov. Kathy Hochul picked him for Lt. Governor without due diligence? 🤔
They (dems)all come into office with dirty hands.
For cryin’ out loud, she’s from Buffalo. They probably still can’t spell her name in Brooklyn.
Has anyone questioned why there are high-profile arrests going on like this, i.e., sex trafficking busts, recent audit results proving 2020 election fraud … going on under Biden’s regime?
Since I’m a “conspiracy theorist” (and proud of it) and Biden’s appearance continues to look weird . . . I have my suspicions. 🙂
Mountains of corruption between Biden, Clinton and Cuomo
… and the Brother gets lit up for 50k
Systemic Racism.
Corruption is a requirement to be a democrat
Bought and paid for. Ask Zelensky or Xi about Joe.
Arresting him before the primary is political. They should’ve waited until afterwards and everyone voted for him to be on the general ballot. No takebacks.
How stupid can you get?
Come on man, our politicians light cigars with $ 10,000 bills.
Good thing he wasn’t parading in the capital because then he’d stil be in jail instead of walking free on bail.
Why did he feel the need to resign. They usually don’t.
Save himself a BLM-worthy amount of attorney fees.
“Gov. Hochul said, ‘I have utmost confidence in my lieutenant governor,’ adding, ‘This is an independent investigation related to other people and he’s fully cooperating. He is my running mate.’”—New York Daily News
Brian Benjamin was under investigation for two year prior to being selected as Kathy Hochul’s “running mate”. This is a strong indication that New York’s Governor is morally suspect, just like her predecessor.
Hochul is a totally empty suit. There’s nothing upstairs!
A corrupt NY official? Ya don’t say….
Ten bucks says he plays the race card before the end of the day.
If this wasn’t a scripted plot, he would have already. I don’t know what game they’re playing but nothing seems legit about this story. The SDNY doesn’t care a wit about Democrat political corruption.
Time to get Ben crump as an attorney, then claim that he was framed by Putin.
When all else fails blame Putin.
idiot
As a native New Yorker, I never thought anyone could top the corruption and malfeasance of our last governor Killer Cuomo.
Then along came Empress Hochul, as dirty as they come, and fully prepared to carry out the demands of the Demo-Marxists that run all three branches of our state government. I think even the Dems were surprised when she picked a known criminal for her lieutenant and running mate, but then again, when has that ever stopped him.
We have three very decent Republican gubernatorial candidates who will be in a primary to see who will run against this corrupt witch.
If can get past the downstate election rigging, which is a big if, our guy should have a very good chance to get in.
He knew, they all knew, it was coming.
His compadre in crime was busted for the scheme, last year.
Nice scheme, except you don’t get to keep it.
https://nypost.com/2021/11/19/businessman-busted-in-donation-scheme-to-aid-lt-gov-benjamins-comptroller-bid/
Was Omar there to cackle, “It’s all about the Benjamins”?
Benjamin used his official authority to try to steer $50,000 to a charitable organization……………..
In the big scheme of things with New York corruption this seems like a minor infraction. I’m wondering if this was done to clear the decks and make room for a fresh face with some gov/lt. gov cred to eventually fill a spot in D.C. after the pending Biden implosion and 2022 election. There’s going to be some voids to fill, and the dems don’t have many palative bodies currently available to fill them.
“U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan)”
Just as Sundance ask the question, “What does forty FBI agents working on this fabricated Russian case for three years tell us about the operational integrity of the FBI as an institution?”
Ask the question. Why does Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, take out Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul’s second-in-command?
The same office overseeing the Wiener laptop has found religion?
It isn’t because it is the right thing to do. There is something playing out here for them to take him out now. The indictment alleges that the crimes occurred from October 2019 to January 2021. Last day for candidate declaring in New York was April 7, 2022 (this past Thursday).
WHY NOW.
Someone cut class on the day the Democrat Training Seminar covered shell corporations and money laundering.
Must not have shared the proper amount with the powers that be. Dems never resign or are implicated in states or cities they run.
I would expect no les from New York. From Tammany Hall to the present, nothing has changed.
Who are they making space for?
Remember when Cuomo resigned? What’s his stenchness been up to? Is he making a comeback in the regime?
Expect these folks to carry the message as long as they breathe. Always a threat. Always.
AMF !!!!
AMF. American Machine And Foundry.
That company made the absolute best automated bowling equipment and a whole host of other products. Every single thing they manufactured was 100 percent quality.
I used the past tense, as I am not sure if their standard of quality is the same today as it was years ago.
Love the winning smile! “Smilin’ faces, show no traces, of the evil that lurks within– can you dig it?!”
”…smiling faces lying to the races.”
I’d bet a cup of coffee and a donut that this crook’s illegal activities were either already known or discovered during the vetting process, but based on certain qualifications of this criminal they just happened to be overlooked.
Gillum & Benjamin in 2024!
The perfect pair!!
noting: investigating politicos and alleging criminal conduct is the name of the game for king makers.
first you develop a serious criminal charge. Even put it on the court schedule (if you have to).
then send the message: would really be a problem for you and your family if this was to become a REALLY serious problem.
New York Politics/organized crime.
did he do it?
probably.
but even if he didn’t the king makers would find ANY manufactured criminal misconduct to
LEVERAGE.
it’s the reality of big stakes big money city politics.
been going on for…ever.
he’ll be back in a week, working…
…and will probably have some bridge named after him.
Is there anything Democrats can do in New York that would cause their voters to consider voting for the GOP?
Look at Cuomo. Look at De Blasio. Look at this Lt. Governor and yet New Yorkers won’t give the GOP a sniff at any of the those positions of power. It’s unbelievable.
New York State Is a high regulation, extremely high tax, insanely corrupt, bankrupt, welfare state. It always has been and it always will be. Case Closed.
It has to be bad for them to actually arrest a dem!😳
Meanwhile Huner Biden continues to inhale on his now free crack pipe.
Didn’t AOC do something similar?
Why is it always Democrats? We know.
It’s funny. I had a conversation long ago. It was a “hard discussion” about the problems with black culture in the US. I stated that black culture embraces and defends criminal behavior. The people on the other side were black. I didn’t get a lot of pushback from that but I did explain in more detail about it. I stated in “white culture” (if there is such a thing) we don’t “own” our criminals — we excise them and make them no longer welcome among us. And that in contrast, all manner of criminal acts are glorified and somehow a rite of passage and a badge of honor to have a criminal history that will forever prevent advancement socially and economically. What’s more, the rest of the world sees it even if we’re not allowed to talk about it. Still no push back and I expect they already knew it…
This same thing actually applies to Democrats rather than race. And of course I prefaced the statement with “of course NOT ALL” but it does seem to apply to the visible majority.
There never should have been a BLM political movement. It was created to magnify the existing cultural divide. The “melting pot” cultural strategy was working against the interests of those who require division and hate which is why you don’t see it any longer. I feel bad for black people who can’t yet see this. Candace Owens sees it. I hope more people listen to what she has to say.