Brian Benjamin

Brian A. Benjamin
Born	(1976-12-09) December 9, 1976 Harlem Hospital, New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, politician
Years active	2008–2022
Known for	Lieutenant Governor of New York (2021–2022), New York State Senator (2017–2021)

Brian A. Benjamin (born December 9, 1976) is an American entrepreneur and politician who held the position of Lieutenant Governor of New York from September 2021 until his resignation in April 2022. Affiliated with the Democratic Party, he served as the representative for New York's 30th State Senate district between 2017 and 2021.

Identified as a political progressive, Benjamin secured his State Senate seat through a special election in May 2017. Throughout his legislative service, he acted as senior assistant majority leader and led the Senate Committee on Budget and Revenue.

On August 26, 2021, following Governor Andrew Cuomo’s resignation, Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Benjamin to the lieutenant governorship. He stepped down from this role on April 12, 2022, after facing federal indictments for wire fraud and bribery charges, to which he entered a plea of not guilty. These charges were ultimately dismissed in January 2025 after the principal prosecution witness passed away.

Early life and education

Benjamin was born at Harlem Hospital in New York City to parents who immigrated from the Caribbean and were employed in unionized labor positions. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in public policy from Brown University and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Business

Benjamin completed an internship at Bill Lynch & Associates and was elected by alumni to serve as a trustee at Brown University. His professional background includes three years as an investment advisor with Morgan Stanley.

During Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, Benjamin supported early efforts by hosting fundraising events. Although not a founding member of "Harlem4Obama," he utilized that group's framework to establish "Young Professionals United for Change (YP4C)," which implemented mentoring initiatives at Wadleigh High School for Girls and engaged young professionals in civic activities. In 2012, he served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention supporting Obama’s reelection campaign and participated in fundraising efforts.

In 2010, Benjamin assumed the role of managing partner at Genesis Companies, a minority business enterprise specializing in affordable housing development within Harlem. He was instrumental in acquiring and redeveloping properties previously owned by Abyssinian Development Corporation, overseeing repair contracts with various vendors. Additionally, he collaborated with First Corinthians Baptist Church on community projects such as the Dream Center and Hope Center.

By 2016, Benjamin chaired Manhattan Community Board 10, located in Central Harlem, where he opposed redevelopment plans perceived as detrimental to tenant interests.

In 2017, while balancing his responsibilities at Genesis Companies and campaigning for the New York State Senate nomination, Benjamin's firm became involved in litigation initiated by a co-investor alleging misappropriation of revenue connected to a rapid sale of 31 properties acquired from Abyssinian Development. A Manhattan Supreme Court judge issued a preliminary injunction freezing assets pending case resolution. Genesis Companies contested these allegations and sought arbitration.

New York Senate

Following New York State Senator Bill Perkins’ election to a vacant seat on the New York City Council, Benjamin pursued the State Senate seat representing Harlem’s 30th District. Under New York law, special elections for state legislative offices do not permit open primaries; instead, party nominees are selected by local county committees. Three Democratic contenders—district leaders Rev. Al Taylor, John Ruiz, and activist Joyce Johnson—accused Manhattan Democratic Chairman Keith L. T. Wright, an ally of Benjamin’s, of engaging in "voter suppression" tactics to secure Benjamin’s nomination. Observers also highlighted Benjamin’s close association with Wright, including his engagement to a woman employed in Wright’s office. Despite these disputes, Benjamin secured the Democratic nomination with 63% support at a March convention.

Given the district's strong Democratic base, Benjamin won the May 24, 2017 special election against Republican Dawn Simmons and Reform candidate Ruben Dario Vargas with over 91% of votes cast; however, turnout was only around 4%. He was officially sworn into office on June 5, 2017, pledging to uphold progressive principles.

2017–2018 session

Benjamin served as the representative for a Senate district that encompassed central Harlem along with sections of East Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Morningside Heights, Washington Heights, the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side, and Yorkville within Manhattan.

Shortly after his election in July 2017, the CEO of Genesis Companies, Benjamin's former employer, submitted a "reportable business relationship" disclosure to New York State ethics authorities. According to Genesis, Benjamin was retained as an advisor at an annual rate of $60,000 starting in June 2017 to provide guidance on "real estate development matters." Benjamin acknowledged providing consultation but denied receiving payment and affirmed that he had not earned outside income since taking office.

Identified as a progressive politician, Benjamin committed to shutting down Rikers Island and introduced legislation aiming for its closure within three years. After incidents of violence at Rikers in late 2017, he called for a state report which recommended expediting the closure timetable to safeguard the rights of both inmates and staff. He also co-sponsored legislation reforming discovery rules, abolishing cash bail, restoring voting rights for parolees, and eliminating solitary confinement; many of these measures were enacted after Democrats secured the majority.

During his campaign, Benjamin opposed efforts by real estate developers to rebrand Harlem as "SOHA," a proposal that was eventually dropped. He returned a $2,500 campaign contribution from a company using the "SoHa" branding and urged them to change their property's name.

In 2018, while serving on Genesis's advisory board, Benjamin urged residents to report heating problems amid tenant complaints about heating failures in apartments managed by Genesis. He presented himself as an advocate holding landlords responsible for such maintenance issues.

A grassroots nonprofit named "New York 4 Harlem," which solicited donations ranging from $500 to $5,000, was reported in 2018 to have connections with Benjamin and three other Harlem officials. The organization hosted events featuring their images despite nonprofit regulations prohibiting campaign-related activities.

Benjamin sponsored legislation aimed at divesting New York's Public Pension Fund from investments in private prison companies. This initiative influenced Comptroller DiNapoli’s decision to begin divesting from these firms.

2019–2020 session

In December 2018, Benjamin was appointed chair of the Revenue and Budget Subcommittee. In this capacity, he prioritized efforts to remove public and private banks from investments in private for-profit prisons, introducing legislation that called on New York State-chartered banks—including numerous international banks operating domestically—to halt such financial ties. The bill successfully passed the Senate during both the 2019 and 2020 legislative sessions, contributing to a broader national movement that prompted major private banks to divest from these investments. The Washington Post recognized Benjamin’s legislation as instrumental in Bank of America's decision to sever connections with private prison companies.

The 2019 legislative session also saw the passage of housing reform measures, including Benjamin’s bill protecting affordable Rent Stabilized units as part of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protections Act of 2019. Furthermore, he advocated for legislation permitting felons who have completed their sentences to serve on juries.

In 2020, Benjamin sponsored and secured passage of the Rainy Day Fund bill, which authorized New York City to create a revenue stabilization fund. Previously, strict budget-balancing requirements forced service cuts during financial downturns. Following landmark police reform initiatives, Benjamin advanced the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act. In December 2020, he joined fellow senators in proposing legislation that would significantly restrict police use of no-knock warrants, limiting their application to serious cases and prohibiting them for drug-related searches.

2021–2022 legislative term

In January 2021, Benjamin was appointed chair of the Committee on Revenue and Budget.

During that same month, he introduced a bill aimed at easing access to state-issued identification for formerly incarcerated individuals and championed parole reform legislation designed to eliminate jail time for technical violations such as positive drug tests or failure to report. Additionally, he openly advocated for reducing police funding.

The New York Daily News revealed that Benjamin received up to $50,000 annually as a board member of NextPoint, a company led by a Wall Street executive associated with the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis, and held NextPoint stock valued at as much as $250,000. This financial involvement raised ethical questions considering his $120,000 salary as a state senator. In response, 34 progressive organizations organized protests outside his residence and petitioned Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to remove him from his role as chair of the Senate Budget and Revenue Committee, citing conflicts related to his financial connections with NextPoint.

Benjamin also held the position of senior assistant majority leader in the Senate.

2021 campaign for New York City Comptroller

In 2021, Benjamin entered the race for the Democratic nomination for New York City Comptroller. His rivals included State Senator Kevin Parker, entrepreneur and nonprofit founder Zach Iscol, City Councilmember Brad Lander, and Assemblymember David Weprin.

Candidates who raised at least $125,000 from 500 donors qualified for city matching funds at an 8-to-1 ratio. By February 16, 2021, Benjamin was among three candidates to meet this threshold. He secured endorsements from former governor David Paterson, former U.S. Representative Charles Rangel, and State Senator John Liu.

Ultimately, Lander won the primary election; Benjamin finished fourth with 11.6% of the vote, trailing behind Corey Johnson and CNBC commentator Michelle Caruso-Cabrera.

Lieutenant Governor of New York

On August 26, 2021, following Governor Andrew Cuomo’s resignation and Kathy Hochul’s elevation to governor, Hochul appointed Benjamin as New York’s lieutenant governor. He was officially sworn in on September 9, 2021, prompting a special election to fill his vacated State Senate seat during the November general election. His appointment marked him as the second Black individual to hold New York’s lieutenant governor position.

Following his inauguration, Benjamin reimbursed his campaign account for a substantial payment made in October 2018 to a venue associated with his wedding celebration—a transaction scrutinized by the New York Board of Elections.

Indictment and resignation due to corruption allegations

Benjamin came under investigation for using campaign funds to cover travel expenses related to his role as state senator, including trips outside New York. After review by the New York Board of Elections, he repaid $3,500 to his campaign account. Despite this scrutiny, he maintained that no regulatory issues arose during his vetting process for lieutenant governor. In March 2022, The New York Times disclosed an FBI investigation into purportedly fraudulent contributions linked to his 2021 Comptroller campaign, with subpoenas served to his advisers.

On April 12, 2022, Benjamin stepped down from the lieutenant governor post following a federal indictment charging him with bribery, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud itself, and falsifying records. Prosecutors alleged that in 2019—while serving as state senator—he steered a $50,000 state grant toward Friends of Public School Harlem, an organization headed by real estate developer and attorney Gerald Migdol. Migdol then allegedly orchestrated illegal "straw donor" contributions funneling money into Benjamin’s comptroller campaign. Migdol pleaded guilty to bribery in 2022 and testified against Benjamin. The indictment further accused Benjamin of submitting false campaign documents and providing inaccurate information during an August 2021 background investigation preceding his lieutenant governor appointment. Benjamin entered a plea of not guilty.

Pretrial arguments focused on whether prosecutors had adequately demonstrated a "corrupt quid pro quo" under Supreme Court interpretations of federal anti-bribery statutes. On December 6, 2022, U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken dismissed charges related to wire fraud and bribery but allowed falsification counts to move forward. However, in March 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reinstated all charges, affirming the presence of quid pro quo allegations. The case was complicated by Migdol’s death in February 2024; he had been a key witness. On December 16, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court declined a motion seeking dismissal of some charges.

Ultimately, on January 17, 2025, all charges against Benjamin—including bribery and wire fraud—were dropped by the U.S. Attorney’s Office due to difficulties in substantiating the case without Migdol’s testimony.

Television

In 2014, Benjamin featured on the reality series Love in the City aired by the Oprah Winfrey Network, portraying the partner of a woman who, during his 2017 State Senate bid, later accused him of theft.

Personal life

Benjamin and his spouse, Cathleen, live in Harlem, New York, where they raise their two daughters.

See also

• List of New York state senators
• List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States