Senator Brian Benjamin during the first of five regional roundtables to talk about improving the state's "foundation aid" formula, used to disperse state education aid to school districts across NYS at Yonkers Public Library in Yonkers on Wednesday, October 16, 2019. Finalcial Aid Formula Roundtable
Syndication: Westchester
NEW YORK (77 WABC) — NY’s LT. Governor is under investigation in a federal fraud probe. Federal investigators have issued subpoenas to former campaign advisers to New York LT. Gov. Brian Benjamin and the State Senate. The investigation seeks to determine if Benjamin had a hand in funneling fraudulent donations in his failed bid for NYC comptroller.
The New York Daily News reported the subpoenas come four months after the federal indictment of Benjamin’s longtime associate, Gerald Migdol.
Migdol is accused of funneling fraudulent contributions to Benjamin to qualify for the city’s matching funds program. The program doles out $8 from public money for every $1 raised privately.
Migdol has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, if convicted he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud charge alone.
A spokesperson for the LT. Governor said “neither LT. Gov. Benjamin nor his campaign are being accused of any wrongdoing, and they are prepared to fully cooperate with authorities.”
