Federal prosecutors are conducting a corruption investigation into two prominent Democratic officials in Brooklyn for accepting bribes or kickbacks related to contracts with a migrant shelter provider.
New York City Councilmember Farah Louis and Debbie Louis, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s assistant secretary of New York City intergovernmental affairs, were the targets of a March 19 search warrant. It sought evidence of possible criminal violations due to the appropriation of city funds to a migrant shelter provider, according to the federal warrant obtained by The Associated Press.
Edu Hermelyn, the husband of state Assembly member and Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, was also named in the warrant. The warrant raises suspicions but does not indicate that he has been accused of any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors are seeking information about whether they received benefits in exchange for actions taken on behalf of BHFRAGS Home Care Inc., a nonprofit that provides in-home services to the sick and elderly.
The organization expanded its emergency shelters and other homeless services after an influx of asylum seekers began arriving in New York City in 2022. Since then, BHFRAGS has received over $200 million in contracts from the Department of Homeless Services.
Since taking office in 2019, Farah Louis has allocated at least $71,000 in discretionary funding to the nonprofit.
BHRAGS hired The Parkside Group, a government relations firm, to lobby council members, including Farah Louis, for funding increases earlier this year, Politico reported.
In response to the investigation, a City Council spokesperson said, “The council takes any potential misconduct extremely seriously. New Yorkers deserve confidence in their government. It is essential that the federal investigation proceed fairly and expeditiously to bring this matter to a resolution.”
The search warrant was seeking a phone and records of money transfers and communications between the officials and Edouardo St. Fort, a retired New York Police Department sergeant.
A spokesperson for Ms. Hochul, a Democrat, confirmed that Debbie Louis was placed on leave Wednesday after the governor was made aware of the federal corruption investigation.
Mr. Hermelyn resigned from an advisory role under former Mayor Eric Adams over potentially violating rules forbidding dual government roles. He also advised former Gov. Andrew Cuomo during his 2025 mayoral campaign.
Linda Sun, a former adviser to Ms. Hochul and her predecessor, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was also targeted by federal prosecutors for being an alleged undisclosed agent of the Chinese government, having been arrested in September 2024. Ms. Hochul fired her after potential misconduct was exposed.
