Prosecutors dropped charges against former New York Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin after the death of a key cooperating witness, Gerald Migdol. The case involved allegations of campaign finance fraud and bribery.
Charges against former New York Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin have been dropped following the death of a key cooperating witness. Judge J. Paul Oetken closed the case after prosecutors informed him that a review of the evidence led them to believe they could no longer prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. The cooperating witness, Gerald Migdol, a Harlem real estate developer, died on February 9, 2024.
Migdol had pleaded guilty in 2022 to organizing tens of thousands of dollars in fake campaign contributions to Benjamin's 2021 run for city comptroller. The case against Benjamin had been contentious from the start. In December 2022, Judge Oetken dismissed bribery and fraud charges against Benjamin, leaving only records falsification charges. However, in March 2023, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan reinstated the bribery and fraud charges, finding that an indictment sufficiently alleged an explicit quid pro quo. The appeals court stated that a jury could infer from the case facts that Benjamin had promised to allocate $50,000 in state funds to a nonprofit controlled by Migdol in exchange for campaign contributions.Benjamin's lawyers, Barry Berke, Dani James, and Darren LaVerne, celebrated the dismissal of charges, stating that they believed justice had prevailed and that the case was a testament to the principle that the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice. A spokesperson for the prosecution declined to comment on the dropped charges
BRIAN BENJAMIN POLITICS CAMPAIGN FINANCE NEW YORK COURT CASE
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