New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin was arrested on charges stemming from a campaign finance fraud investigation, NBC News reports. Benjamin is expected to appear in federal court in New York City on Tuesday. Reports that Manhattan federal prosecutors and the FBI were investigating Benjamin for possible campaign finance violations had surfaced in the months since Gerald Migdol, Benjamin's fundraiser, was arrested in November. Migdol has since been charged with wire fraud in connection with an alleged campaign fraud scheme linked to past Benjamin fundraising.
In part, the investigation sought to find out whether Benjamin helped distribute state money to contributors and their projects. Benjamin has not yet addressed the allegations. His office referred to a Nov. 19 press statement issued aftrer Migdol's arrest. “Neither Lieutenant Governor Benjamin nor his campaign are being accused of any wrongdoing and they are prepared to fully cooperate with authorities,” Benjamin's office said then. “As soon as the campaign discovered that these contributions were improperly sourced, they donated them to the Campaign Finance Board, pursuant to guidance obtained from the CFB.” Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed Benjamin in 2021.