{"id":430806,"date":"2022-04-13T04:37:42","date_gmt":"2022-04-13T01:37:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/hochul-made-poor-choice-in-benjamin-for-wrong-reasons-experts\/"},"modified":"2022-04-13T04:37:42","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T01:37:42","slug":"hochul-made-poor-choice-in-benjamin-for-wrong-reasons-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/hochul-made-poor-choice-in-benjamin-for-wrong-reasons-experts\/","title":{"rendered":"#Hochul made poor choice in Benjamin for wrong reasons: experts"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a23d5c21850c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a23d5c21850c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/hochul-made-poor-choice-in-benjamin-for-wrong-reasons-experts\/#%E2%80%9CHochul_made_poor_choice_in_Benjamin_for_wrong_reasons_experts%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Hochul made poor choice in Benjamin for wrong reasons: experts&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CHochul_made_poor_choice_in_Benjamin_for_wrong_reasons_experts%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Hochul made poor choice in Benjamin for wrong reasons: experts&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>In for a penny, in for a pound. <\/p>\n<p>Gov. Kathy Hochul\u2019s decision to name now ex-Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin as her running mate despite his well-publicized ethics issues, which eventually resulted in his indictment and arrest on Tuesday, could continue to cost her as she seeks her first full term in office this year, experts told The Post. <\/p>\n<p>Benjamin quit his job hours after the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office in Manhattan brought five counts of corruption, alleging the then-state Senator traded campaign contributions for a taxpayer-funded grant.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s absolutely a blemish because this is someone that she picked and therefore it reflects her having elevated the situation and getting caught where he\u2019s now on the ballot,\u201d said Lee Miringoff, the director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt reflects the culture in Albany and that kind of stains her selection process and puts a cloud over it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hochul, who is white, landed on Benjamin shortly after taking office in August, largely out of political necessity. The longtime Buffalo-area politician had sought to balance her prospective ticket with a downstate lawmaker of color. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/USA-CRIME_NEW-YORK-BENJAMIN-1.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"New York Governor Kathy Hochul listens as her choice for Lieutenant Governor, Democratic New York State Senator Brian Benjamin speaks an event in the Harlem section of Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., August 26, 2021. \" class=\"wp-image-21880600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/USA-CRIME_NEW-YORK-BENJAMIN-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/USA-CRIME_NEW-YORK-BENJAMIN-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/USA-CRIME_NEW-YORK-BENJAMIN-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/USA-CRIME_NEW-YORK-BENJAMIN-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Gov. Kathy Hochul picked Benjamin to be her running mate in her bid for a full term in November.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">REUTERS\/Mike Segar<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But Benjamin was only picked after several other high-profile minority lawmakers from New York City made it clear they were uninterested in the position, sources say.<\/p>\n<p>Those discussions took place as Attorney <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a> Letitia James contemplated a now-aborted run for the governor\u2019s office, which would have garnered widespread support from African American politicians in the outer boroughs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe came in fourth and he lost his own district,\u201d said a well-connected Democratic consultant. \u201cYou almost are questioning who is advising her on her downstate political operations as it pertains to the Black and Latino communities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Once she made the pick, Hochul had no easy politically palatable way to dump Benjamin as her running mate as his legal woes mounted recent months before Tuesday\u2019s indictment \u2014 despite the growing toll on her image, experts told The Post.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/hochul-benjamin-667.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"New York State Attorney General Letitia James speaks during the New York State Democratic Convention in New York, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. \" class=\"wp-image-21880747\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/hochul-benjamin-667.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/hochul-benjamin-667.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/hochul-benjamin-667.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>New York State Attorney General Letitia James gained widespread African American support during her short-lived run for governor.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP\/Seth Wenig<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cShe was stuck, had she dumped him too quickly, she would have <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>eared to be insensitive to African Americans and she can\u2019t afford to lose that constituency,\u201d said longtime Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf. \u201cShe had no choice but to wait.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another veteran Democratic consultant echoed the assessment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can\u2019t dump someone before they\u2019re charged and these indictments fall from the sky,\u201d said Eric Soufer. \u201cI\u2019ve been there before with Malcolm Smith,\u201d referencing another convicted New York politician, who had tried to bribe his way into the 2013 mayoral race.<\/p>\n<p>Hochul selected Benjamin shortly after she became governor in August as she succeeded disgraced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/hochul-benjamin-666.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, accompanied by Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, left, speaks during ceremonies in the governor's office, in New York, Sept. 17, 2021. \" class=\"wp-image-21880771\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/hochul-benjamin-666.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/hochul-benjamin-666.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/hochul-benjamin-666.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Experts say Hochul was trapped in the months before Benjamin was arrested, with no clear way to dump him as her running mate.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP\/Richard Drew<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Tuesday\u2019s indictment that Benjamin \u201crepeatedly\u201d provided false information to Hochul\u2019s team as part of the vetting process for the job.<\/p>\n<p>However, the then-state Senator\u2019s ethics woes were already public following stories from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecity.nyc\/politics\/2022\/4\/12\/23021777\/brian-benjamin-indicted-campaign-fundraising\">an investigative news outlet, The City,<\/a> which revealed a pattern of fraudulent donations to his failed campaign for city Comptroller.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBenjamin is now the face of crime,\u201d Sheinkopf added. \u201cHe\u2019s the drag on the democratic ticket. He\u2019ll remain a problem in the fall.\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2013 Additional reporting by Carl Campanile<\/em>\n                        <\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/04\/12\/hochul-made-poor-choice-in-benjamin-for-wrong-reasons-experts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Hochul made poor choice in Benjamin for wrong reasons: experts&#8221; In for a penny, in for a pound. Gov. Kathy Hochul\u2019s decision to name now ex-Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin as her running mate despite his well-publicized ethics issues, which eventually resulted in his indictment and arrest on Tuesday, could continue to cost her as she&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":430807,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/hochul-benjamin-666-1.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[127901,71386,98806,120495],"class_list":["post-430806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-4-12-22","tag-albany","tag-kathy-hochul","tag-ny-governors-race-2022"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=430806"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430806\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/430807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=430806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=430806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=430806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}