Current New York State Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin was found to have allegedly claimed full, taxpayer-funded reimbursements for at least a dozen trips while a state senator by submitting vouchers saying he used personal funds during those trips when, in actuality, some expenses were paid for by his campaign.
In one such instance on January 8, 2020, then-state Senator Benjamin reportedly drove to Albany on official business, and sought a full, taxpayer-funded reimbursement the next day, according to Albany Times-Union. He also signed a voucher certifying he personally paid for the cost of the trip, despite records showing his state Senate campaign spent $54 at a gas station on Benjamin’s drive back to New York City.
On the twelve trips examined by the Albany Times-Union, Benjamin got $2,100 in mileage reimbursements, despite the fact that his campaign made 14 payments for gasoline in the same timeframe.
Benjamin’s campaign for lieutenant governor did not deny he used Senate campaign funds on trips to Albany, but his campaign spokesperson Kevin Groh did say the “notion that Lt. Gov. Benjamin profited off of things like gas and car maintenance costs while in the state Senate is absurd.”
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