Manhattan Federal Judge J. Paul Oetken says that Brian Benjamin, New York’s mercifully short-tenured lieutenant governor, cannot be charged by the U.S. attorney’s grand jury with bribery and honest services wire fraud. Too bad.
Federal Judge Tosses Bribery, Fraud Against Ex-NY Lt Gov Brian Benjamin kaok.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kaok.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
During a brief pretrial hearing at Manhattan Federal Court, Benjamin’s lawyer Barry Berke alleged his client had been railroaded by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office and insisted what he did was “absolutely not a crime.”
Jerry Migdol’s guilty plea in Manhattan Federal Court on April 11 came five months after his indictment for trying to scam the city’s system for matching campaign donations.
Brian Benjamin should resign today as lieutenant governor, marking the end of his term at seven months and three days, the third shortest tenure in state history. His arrest this morning by the FBI on federal felony charges for bribery, honest services wire fraud, conspiracy and falsification of records was not a surprise, since the Daily News two-and-a-half weeks ago exposed that it was in the sights of the Manhattan U.S. attorney.