Federal prosecutors have issued grand jury subpoenas to campaign advisers of New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin and the state Senate as part of an investigation to determine if he played a role in funneling fraudulent donations to his failed campaign last year for New York City comptroller, The New York Times reported on Sunday.
Benjamin, a Democrat, previously served in the state Senate representing Harlem before being chosen for the lieutenant governor position by Gov. Kathy Hochul after she took office.
Although Benjamin has not been accused of wrongdoing, Harlem real estate investor Gerald Migdol is suspected of a plan to misrepresent or conceal multiple illegal contributions to Benjamin's campaign, according to The New York Times.
Four months ago Migdol was arrested and charged with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and other crimes, to which he pleaded not guilty.
It is not clear if Migdol is cooperating with prosecutors.
When asked about the subpoenas, a spokesman for Benjamin's campaign for lieutenant governor referenced a statement from the time of Migdol's arrest.
"Neither Lt. Gov. Benjamin nor his campaign are being accused of any wrongdoing, and they are prepared to fully cooperate with authorities," the statement said
The New York Daily News reported that there have already been several distractions during Benjamin’s tenure as lieutenant governor due to ethical missteps and spending scandals from his time in the Legislature and his campaign to become comptroller.
One such example was that he was criticized for giving incorrect information on a background check he handed in to the governor’s office and state police as part of the standard vetting process for his current position.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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