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New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin was arrested Tuesday (April 12) in connection to a federal campaign finance investigation led by the FBI and federal prosectors in Manhattan.
Two sources familiar with the situation confirmed to NBC New York that Benjamin surrendered to authorities and is due in court in NYC later Tuesday (April 12).
Benjamin, 45, was indicted on charges that accuse him of accepting campaign donations from a Harlem real estate developer in exchange for a $50,000 grant from the state to be used for the developer's business. Investigators were looking into whether Benjamin knowingly participated in the scheme or not.
Records indicate that the developer allegedly gave Benjamin two checks for $10,000 each written in the name of relatives who don't share the same last name as the business owner. Prosecutors say this was done to avoid connection between the business and campaign finances.
The developer is also accused of giving Benjamin a third $5,000 check in the name of an LLC owned by the developer.
According to NBC News, Benjamin took part in the scheme from 2019 to 2021 and knowingly participated by falsifying campaign donor forms and "providing false information in vetting forms," the indictment states.
Gov. Kathy Hochul selected Benjamin, who is a native of Harlem, as her No. 2 following the resignation of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2021.
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