Disgraced New York Democrat Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin Supported Defund the Police

Activists, local politicians and families of those killed by the police hold a rally in fr
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Paul Bois

Democrat New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin expressed support for defund the police prior to his arrest on Tuesday for alleged bribery conspiracy.

“I support the movement to defund the police because I believe that there are parts of the NYPD budget that are not essential for public safety,” Benjamin said prior to New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) selecting him as her lieutenant governor.

The former New York State Senator also expressed support for parole reform and an end to the use of cash bail. At the time of his selection, the New York Republican State Committee said that Hochul endorsed the most radical elements of the Democrat party by selecting Benjamin.

“New Yorkers are being shot, stabbed, raped, robbed, and attacked in huge crime surges across our state and Kathy Hochul doubled down on Democrats’ dangerous agenda by appointing a ‘Defund the Police’ radical leftist to serve as her second in command,” said Nick Langworthy.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden attempted to distance himself and the Democrats from “Defund the Police” much to the chagrin of hardcore progressives.

“Proven strategies like community violence interruption, trusted messengers working the cycle of violence and trauma and giving young people hope,” Biden said during his “State of the Union” address. “We should all agree the answer is not to defund the police. It is to fund the police — to fund them.”

The president also recalled the funerals of NYPD officers Mora and Rivera, who were killed when responding to a 911 call.

“I spoke with their families and I told them we are forever in debt for their sacrifices, and we will carry on their mission to restore the trust and safety every community deserves,” he said.

 

As the Associated Press reported on Tuesday, Benjamin was arrested on a federal bribery conspiracy indictment for allegedly “participating in a scheme to obtain campaign contributions from a real estate developer in exchange for Benjamin’s agreement to use his influence as a state senator to get a $50,000 grant of state funds for a nonprofit organization the developer-controlled.”

“The indictment said Benjamin and others acting at his direction or on his behalf also engaged in a series of lies and deceptions to cover up the scheme,” said the report. “They falsified campaign donor forms, misled municipal regulators and provided false information in vetting forms Benjamin submitted while he was being considered to be appointed as lieutenant governor, the indictment said.”

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