NYC Dem, Hochul aide under investigation over alleged migrant shelter bribes

The March 19 warrant seeks evidence of possible criminal conduct involving Councilmember Farah Louis, a Brooklyn Democrat; her sister, Debbie Louis, Hochul's assistant secretary for New York City intergovernmental affairs; and Edu Hermelyn, husband of Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.

According to the warrant, investigators are examining whether the three received benefits in exchange for actions taken on behalf of BHRAGS Home Care Inc., a Brooklyn nonprofit that historically provided in-home care for sick and elderly clients.

As New York City's migrant influx intensified in 2022, BHRAGS broadened its work to include emergency shelter operations for asylum seekers and other homeless services. Since then, public records show the group has been awarded more than a dozen contracts worth upward of $200 million from the city's Department of Homeless Services.

An attorney for BHRAGS Executive Director Roberto Samedy declined to comment to the AP.

The warrant's existence does not mean charges are imminent. It indicates only that federal investigators convinced a judge they had sufficient grounds to search for and seize potential evidence.

Some of those arrangements have drawn criticism from watchdogs and political opponents, who questioned the speed, scale and oversight of the contracting process.

The Trump administration, led by fraud investigation czar Vice President JD Vance, has prioritized federal law enforcement investigations nationwide.

The Treasury's whistleblower page says eligible tipsters can receive between 10% and 30% of monetary sanctions collected for successful actions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.