New York State is embroiled in one other scandal simply months after former Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned from workplace over sexual harassment allegations.
Earlier this week, Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin resigned after being arrested and indicted on federal bribery prices.
Now, Democrats are aiming to distance Governor Kathy Hochul from Benjamin, who she chosen to function her second in command. Hochul took over for Cuomo in August 2021 and on the time pledged to finish the tradition of unethical conduct. She has already introduced plans to run for governor after ending Cuomo's time period.
Benjamin was to be her working mate and can nonetheless doubtless be on the poll in New York's June 28 main for lieutenant governor as a result of he already accepted the nomination from the state's Democratic Celebration. Assemblymember Amy Paulin mentioned earlier this week that she is going to introduce laws that may change that.
Paulin's proposal would enable a candidate to say no their get together's designation or nomination and be faraway from the poll if they're charged with against the law, have a life-threatening sickness or have resigned from the workplace for which they're campaigning. "This can be a invoice that makes numerous sense," Paulin mentioned, in response to WSKG. "And typically, there's a chance."
The federal indictment accuses Benjamin of creating a corrupt take care of an actual property developer to acquire marketing campaign contributions throughout his run for metropolis comptroller final yr. Prosecutors allege that Benjamin directed a $50,000 state grant to a nonprofit group managed by that actual property developer in change for tens of 1000's of dollars in donations.
Hochul mentioned in an announcement Tuesday that she had accepted Benjamin's resignation "efficient instantly."
"Whereas the authorized course of performs out, it's clear to each of us that he can not proceed to function Lieutenant Governor," Hochul mentioned. "New Yorkers deserve absolute confidence of their authorities, and I'll proceed working daily to ship for them."
Republicans are ripping Hochul over Benjamin's downfall.
"Reminder—Lt. Gov. Benjamin is Hochul's handpicked selection," Congresswoman Elise Stefanik wrote on Twitter. "Now he has been arrested for his felony bribery and marketing campaign fraud. He put his personal pursuits above these of New Yorkers."
Colorado Consultant Lauren Boebert used the circumstances to push for New Yorkers to elect Republican Lee Zeldin as governor this fall.
"What did Kathy Hochul know and did she comprehend it when she picked Brian Benjamin? NY must elect @LeeZeldin so it might probably FINALLY have a Governor that is not surrounded by corruption scandals," Boebert tweeted. "The final time they'd a Governor that did not go down in a trash heap of scandal was 2006!"
Newsweek has reached out to the governor's workplace for remark.
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