Federal prosecutors dropped bribery and fraud charges against former New York Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin on Friday, Jan. 17. The case was closed after the death of a cooperating witness, Gerald Migdol, led prosecutors to conclude they could not prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Benjamin resigned after his April 2022 arrest, which created a political crisis for Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. Benjamin’s lawyers stated that Friday’s vindication is a reminder of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words about justice.