Supreme Court Declines Appeal of Former New York Official in Bribery Case

An appeals court rejected Brian Benjamin’s argument that a bribery conviction based on campaign contributions may not be ‘inferred from the circumstances.’

New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin speaks during a rally in New York City on Nov. 1, 2021. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

A Dec. 16 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court means that former New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, a Democrat, must stand trial on charges of seeking campaign contributions in exchange for a grant from the state.

The nation’s highest court left in place a March ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit that reinstated the federal bribery and wire fraud charges against Benjamin that a federal district court dismissed in December 2022.