NYC council member Farah Louis, whose sister has been investigated in a bribery investigation
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Federal prosecutors are investigating whether a member of the New York City Council and her sister, a senior aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul, whether they accept bribes or deals related to city funding directed at the shelter provider, according to a search warrant obtained by The Associated Press.
The March 19 warrant seeks evidence of possible criminal conduct involving Council Member Farah Louis, a Brooklyn Democrat; his sister, Debbie Louis, Hochul’s assistant secretary for governmental affairs in New York City; and Edu Hermelyn, husband of Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, chairman of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.
A spokesperson for Hochul said Debbie Louis was placed on leave last week after the governor became aware of the corruption investigation. Someone answering a phone number associated with Louis hung up when asked by the AP about the investigation, and messages the AP reported left for Farah Louis and Hermelyn were not returned.
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New York City Council member Farah Louis is reportedly under federal investigation for alleged bribery. (Brooklyn Academy Of Music Jason Mendez/Getty Images)
According to the warrant, investigators are looking into whether the trio received benefits in exchange for actions taken on behalf of BHRAGS Home Care Inc., a Brooklyn nonprofit that historically provided home care to sick and elderly clients.
As immigration to New York City increases through 2022, BHRAGS is expanding its work to include emergency shelter services for asylum seekers and other homeless services. Since then, public records show the group has been awarded more than a dozen contracts worth more than $200 million from the Department of Homeless Services.
“This is a political persecution fueled by those who vote for the right wing, against immigrants and the leaders who are associated with them,” political analyst Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn told the New York Post on Monday. “There are no charges at this time, and the facts will ultimately lead to this case being dismissed on its merits.”
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A lawyer for BHRAGS executive director Roberto Samedy declined to comment to AP.
The warrant also seeks records of money transfers and communications involving Edouardo St. Fort, a former New York Police Department sergeant who retired in 2023. That same year, records show his company, Fort NYC Security, received a $3 million contract from the Department of Homeless Services. AP calls and emails seeking comment in St. Fort was not returned.
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The existence of a warrant does not mean that charges are forthcoming. It only shows that federal investigators convince a judge that they have sufficient grounds to search and seize potential evidence.
The investigation continues amid widespread scrutiny of how New York City awarded emergency shelter contracts during the migrant crisis, when the arrival of tens of thousands of asylum seekers overwhelmed the city’s shelter system and prompted officials under then-Mayor Eric Adams to rapidly increase housing capacity through outside providers.
Some of those arrangements drew criticism from conservatives and political opponents, who questioned the speed, quality and oversight of the contracting system.
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The figures named in the warrant are all connected to the Brooklyn Democratic Alliance political organization, which has been rocked by a series of ethics controversies in recent years.
Hermelyn, a former senior adviser to Adams, resigned after being questioned about whether her role as Brooklyn’s borough leader conflicted with laws barring certain dual government positions. He also continued to advise former Gov. Andrew Cuomo during Cuomo’s failed mayoral campaign.
The Trump administration, led by fraud investigation czar VP JD Vance, has prioritized law enforcement investigations across the country.
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Just this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent of the Department of Finance announced that he would provide whistleblowers with a major financial incentive to help uncover fraud, directing potential tips to the government. Treasury.gov websitetold Fox News on Monday that management has received more than 700 leads.
The Treasury’s report page states that qualified tipsters can receive between 10% and 30% of the fines collected for successful actions.
While Minnesota’s fraud among the Somali community has been in the national headlines until now thanks to a report by independent journalist Nick Shirley, Bessent actually praised that state for having a level of transparency not allowed in California or New York.
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“That’s why that young man, Nick Shirley, was able to see it scamsbecause it was: This is the name of the institution; this address; how much money did they get,” said Bessent. “Oh, look, an empty store. There is no one here. New York, California hides it.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
