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Former New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin will stand trial for campaign finance charges beginning January 2023, a judge ruled Thursday (May 12).
Benjamin was charged for allegedly trading contracts with developers in exchange for financial contributions during his time as a state senator, an investigation revealed earlier this year.
The trial will begin on January 23, 2023, as ordered by US District Judge J. Paul Oetken during a pretrial hearing this week.
According to ABC News, Benjamin's attorney, Barry Berke, told the judge that he doesn't believe there will be a trial because he will prove prosecutors overreached in the charges they brought against the Harlem native last month.
Benjamin resigned as lieutenant governor amid plans to join NY Gov. Kathy Hochul in her upcoming campaign.
"We believe it's the most aggressive political corruption case ever pursued in any court," Berke said, adding that prosecutors' claims were "not a crime."
Authorities said Benjamin received campaign finance contributions from a real estate developer in exchange for a $50,000 state grant that went to a nonprofit controlled by the developer.
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