Governor Hochul Makes Special Announcement With State Senator Brian Benjamin in New York, US – 26 Aug 2021
NEW YORK (77WABC) — New York Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin has resigned after he was arrested in a federal corruption investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s office said Benjamin was arrested Tuesday on charges of bribery, honest services wire fraud and falsification of records. Benjamin, formerly a state senator from Harlem, had joined the administration of Governor Kathy Hochul in September, chosen by her to fill her former job a couple of weeks after she stepped into the governorship.
In a statement Hochul says, “I have accepted Brian Benjamin’s resignation effective immediately. While the legal process plays out, it is clear to both of us that he cannot continue to serve as Lieutenant Governor. New Yorkers deserve absolute confidence in their government, and I will continue working every day to deliver for them.”
Benjamin was the state’s second Black lieutenant governor. During his state Legislature career, the Democrat emphasized criminal justice reform and affordable housing.
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