NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors are investigating whether a New York City Council member and her sister, an aide to Governor Kathy Hochul, accepted bribes or kickbacks in connection with the appropriation of city funds to a migrant shelter provider, according to a copy of a search warrant obtained by The Associated Press.
The warrant, signed on March 19, seeks evidence of possible criminal violations involving Councilmember Farah Louis, a Brooklyn Democrat, and Debbie Louis, who serves as Hochul’s assistant secretary of New York City intergovernmental affairs.
It also names Edu Hermelyn, the husband of state Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, who chairs the Brooklyn Democratic Party. A spokesperson for Hochul confirmed that Debbie Louis was placed on leave last week after the governor learned of the federal corruption investigation.
A person answering a phone number listed for Louis quickly hung up when questioned about the probe, and voicemail messages for both Farah Louis and Edu Hermelyn went unanswered.
The warrant details that prosecutors are seeking information regarding benefits the three may have received in exchange for actions taken on behalf of BHRAGS Home Care Inc., a service provider originating from Brooklyn that has transitioned to running emergency migrant shelters amidst a surge in asylum seekers since 2022.
BHRAGS has since been awarded more than a dozen contracts for homeless services, amounting to over $200 million.
Representatives for the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn declined to comment, and the existence of a search warrant does not necessarily indicate that charges will be filed; it merely signifies that investigators gained judicial permission to gather evidence.
The Louis sisters and Hermelyn are significant figures within Brooklyn’s Democratic party, which has faced a barrage of scandals recently. Hermelyn previously served as a senior advisor to former Mayor Eric Adams before resigning over questions about his role's compliance with government regulations.
