Bribery, fraud charges dropped against former New York Lt. Governor
Federal prosecutors have dropped bribery and fraud charges against former New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin. Prosecutors cited the death of a cooperating witness, saying they can no longer prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Benjamin resigned as lieutenant governor after his April 2022 arrest. The arrest created a political crisis for Gov. Kathy Hochul, a fellow Democrat. She had chosen Benjamin as her second-in-command when she became governor after a sexual harassment scandal drove from office her predecessor, Democrat Andrew Cuomo. Benjamin previously had served on the state Legislature, representing most of central Harlem.