May 3, 2022
ALBANY, NY – Last night, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law, a bill that allows Democrats to remove indicted former running mate Brian Benjamin from the ballot. Brian Benjamin resigned last month after being charged by federal officials with several charges related to campaign corruption.
From Senator Tom O’Mara:
“Albany Democrats are moving at warp speed to change the rules and allow Governor Kathy Hochul to dump her hand-picked and roundly endorsed Lieutenant Governor because he has become a political albatross to their entire party. It’s a desperate fast-tracking of legislation that once again highlights the failure of one-party control of state government where the decisions are being driven, above all else, by ideology and partisan politics. The governor’s handling of one of the most critical decisions any governor has to make has been exposed as a colossal failure. It has called into question her judgment and now she has turned to the Legislature’s Democrat supermajorities to help her try to cover it up. It’s one-party rule at its worst and it comes less than one week after the Democrats’ gerrymandered maps were thrown out as unconstitutional. For Albany Democrats, it’s only about winning at all costs and New Yorkers keep paying a high price for the cover-ups, corruption, and abuses of power that have come to define the highest levels of government in this state.”
From Assemblywoman Majorie Byrnes:
The Democrats voted to change the Election Law to allow a procedure so former disgraced Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin’s name can be removed from the June 28 Democratic primary ballot. All to help Hochul.
From Senator George Borrello:
“On the heels of a court decision finding the Legislature’s Democrat majorities unconstitutionally rigged the redistricting process to favor their party, today’s follow up act was just as brazen. In order to make way for a new hand-picked candidate, one-party-rule forced through a measure to change state election law to allow for the removal of Brian Benjamin from the June 28 Democratic primary ballot. Their actions are egregiously unethical and exemplify the type of craven schemes that have undermined the public’s confidence in government.
“State law allows candidates for lieutenant governor to run and win independently from candidates for governor in the primary. There are two additional candidates for lieutenant governor on the ballot who have adhered to the law, worked to secure the needed signatures and who offer voters viable alternatives. There is no justification for allowing party bosses to manipulate the process, just weeks from the primary election. A recent poll showed that a majority of New Yorkers feel the state is going in the wrong direction. Today’s actions will only provide them further confirmation.”
From Assemblyman Joe Giglio:
“The bill hurriedly passed by our Democratic colleagues is completely self-serving, benefiting them at the cost of the integrity of our electoral processes. I hope voters see how quickly they’re willing to act when it’s for their political benefit, while under their leadership little has been done this entire year to make a real difference in the lives of everyday New Yorkers.”
