Federal Prosecutors Drop Bribery Charges Against Former NY Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin After Key Witness Gerald Migdol's Death

Jan 17, 2025, 11:44 PM

Federal prosecutors in New York have dropped bribery and fraud charges against Brian Benjamin, the former lieutenant governor of New York, following the death of a key witness, real estate developer Gerald Migdol, who died in February. The charges were dismissed after prosecutors determined they could no longer prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt due to Migdol's death. Benjamin, a Democrat, had been accused of steering a $50,000 state grant to a Harlem nonprofit organization controlled by Migdol in exchange for campaign contributions. Benjamin resigned as lieutenant governor in April 2022 after his arrest and had been fighting the case in court. His attorneys celebrated the dismissal, citing it as a vindication and referencing Martin Luther King Jr.'s words about justice.