Who is Brian Benjamin? New York Lt. Gov. arrested on bribery and fraud charges, resigns soon after

New York Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin resigned from his position shortly after being indicted on charges of alleged bribery, fraud, conspiracy and falsification of records.

Governor Kathy Hochul accepted the resignation and said:

“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 reportedly under investigation for his involvement in a campaign finance fraud scheme. According to NBC News, the indictment alleges that Benjamin received campaign contributions from a Harlem real estate developer.

The politician allegedly obtained a $50,000 state grant for the developer's business in exchange for the contributions but the money was ultimately not delivered.

The developer allegedly provided two $10,000 personal checks to Benjamin in the names of relatives as well as a third $5,000 in the name of a limited liability company owned by the developer.

The indictment claims that the developer made the payments to conceal the connections between him and the contributions. It also states that Benjamin “abused his authority as a New York State senator” with his actions and engaged in a bribery scheme using public funds “for his own corrupt purposes.”

Benjamin’s attorneys, James D. Gatta and William J. Harrington, told NBC that Benjamin will resign from his duties as Lieutenant Governor and suspend his campaign to focus on explaining to the court "why his actions were laudable, not criminal."

Brian Benjamin pleaded not guilty to the charges during an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday. He was later released on $250,000 bail with restrictions on travel. He was also banned from returning to the state capitol in Albany.

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Everything to know about Brian Benjamin

Brian Benjamin served as the lieutenant governor of New York between September 2021 and April 2022 (Image via Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Brian Benjamin is an American politician and entrepreneur who was appointed the Lieutenant Governor of New York by Governor Kathy Hochu on September 9, 2021, and served in the role until April 12, 2022.

He was born to a family of Caribbean immigrants on December 9, 1976, in Harlem Hospital, New York. Benjamin earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy from Brown University and received a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School.

Prior to establishing a career in politics, Benjamin worked as an intern in the office of Bill Lynch & Associates and also served as an investment advisor at Morgan Stanley for three years. He was one of the early supporters of Barack Obama’s 2007 presidential campaign.

The Democrat also co-founded Harlem4Obama, which contributed to his Young Professionals United for Change (YP4C) organization following Obama’s election. Benjamin was also an Obama delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

Benjamin was appointed the Chair of the Manhattan Community Board 10 in Central Harlem in 2016. The following year, he became a managing partner of the Genesis Companies real estate firm in Harlem. Meanwhile, he also decided to run for Senate in 2017.

Benjamin was elected the New York State Senator from the 30th district after defeating Republican Dawn Simmons and Reform candidate Ruben Dario Vargas with over 91% vote in a May 24, 2017, special election.

The politician served in the position between June 5, 2017, and September 9, 2021, becoming the first Caribbean-American statewide officeholder in the history of New York.

Benjamin also served as the senior assistant majority leader of the Senate and as the Senate Committee on Budget and Revenue chair during his time in the Senate.

On a personal front, Brian Benjamin is married to Cathleen and lives in Harlem with his wife and daughters, Caroline and Olivia.