NYC Council member, Hochul aide rally with supporters to decry federal bribery probe

NEW YORK (AP) — Weeks after their homes were searched as part of a federal bribery investigation, a New York City Council member and her sister, an aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul, appeared Thursday at a rally held by supporters that aimed to distance the pair from the unfolding scandal.

Councilmember Farah Louis and her sister, Debbie Louis, have yet to publicly respond to the federal probe, which is looking at whether they accepted bribes in exchange for steering city funds to a shelter provider, according to a copy of a search warrant obtained by The Associated Press.

The sisters again declined to comment Thursday, standing silently behind nearly a dozen clergymen who had gathered in a Brooklyn park to speak out against an inquiry they deemed “baseless” and “salacious.”

“These are ladies of integrity, ladies who have given their all to this community,” said Orlando Findlayter, a Brooklyn pastor. “If they want to investigate, let them investigate, but no one should rush to judgment.”

The sisters have not been charged with a crime or publicly accused of wrongdoing. Debbie Louis, an assistant secretary of New York City intergovernmental affairs for Hochul, was placed on leave after the governor’s office learned of the investigation late last month.

According to the search warrant, prosecutors are seeking information about whether the sisters received benefits in exchange for actions taken on behalf of BHRAGS Home Care Inc., a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that has received nearly $200 million in city contracts to open emergency shelters in recent years.

The day after the investigation emerged publicly, federal prosecutors brought bribery charges against BHRAGS’ executive director, its former board chairman and two subcontractors linked to the nonprofit.

The indictment accuses the subcontractors of paying bribes and kickbacks to BHRAGS in exchange for contracts worth millions, among other allegations. It does not mention the Louis sisters.

A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn has declined to comment on the potential involvement of Farah and Debbie Louis in the investigation.

“Politics is a dirty game,” said Louis Straker, another Brooklyn pastor, earning murmurs of approval from his fellow clergy members. “There’s a certain level of gamesmanship that you must navigate in order to get things done.”

Other religious leaders urged the City Council not to refer Farah Louis to the ethics committee. A spokesperson for the body did not respond to an inquiry about whether such a referral had been made.

“It’s very, very traumatic for them,” added Findlayter. “But the fact that they have not done anything wrong gives them some level of peace in the midst of the storm.”