NEW YORK (TIP): Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin has joined the ranks of New York politicians arrested for alleged corruption, creating a big headache for Gov. Kathy Hochul as she and Benjamin run for full terms this year.

Prosecutors say Benjamin, while still serving as a state senator representing Harlem, was involved in a bribery conspiracy that involved using state money to indirectly benefit his unsuccessful 2021 campaign for New York City comptroller, The New York Times reported Tuesday, April 12 morning. Benjamin has surrendered to authorities after being indicted on a federal charge. A spokesperson for the lieutenant governor, who was appointed to his position last August, could not be reached for immediate contact Tuesday.

“Brian Benjamin, the defendant, and others acting at his direction or on his behalf, also engaged in a series of lies and deceptions to cover up his scheme, including by falsifying campaign donor forms, misleading municipal regulators, and providing false information in vetting forms Benjamin submitted while under consideration to be appointed the next lieutenant governor of New York state,” reads an indictment from the Southern District of New York, which oversees federal prosecutions in Manhattan. A noon press conference has also been scheduled.

The federal charge represents a turning point for Benjamin, who has been accused of numerous ethical misdeeds over the years – none of which involved a criminal charge up to today. The City first reported on shady donations allegedly involved in that scheme last year. A real estate developer who backed Benjamin’s 2021 bid for New York City comptroller had already been arrested in relation to the alleged scheme. Hochul recently expressed confidence in her nominal number two following revelations, first reported by the Daily News, that the lieutenant governor had not informed her of subpoenas from Manhattan prosecutors prior to his appointment as lieutenant governor. A spokesperson for Hochul could not immediately be reached for comment. Immediately, Republicans began piling on criticism of Hochul over the arrest for her choice of second in command. “Proof that Kathy Hochul picked a dirty politician as her running mate,” state GOP Chair Nick Langworthy said in a tweet about the arrest.