Armed federal investigators raided the homes of two Democratic sisters on March 23. One sister is New York City Councilwoman Farah Louis.
The other is Debbie Louis, who serves as Assistant Secretary of Intergovernmental Affairs in the administration of Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The raids followed a warrant that named the sisters four days earlier, according to their mother, Vesta Louis. She spoke to Politico. Agents arrived before sunrise at Councilwoman Louis’s home. Vesta Louis said they damaged the doorframe.
The councilwoman was sleeping and refused to open the door until she spoke with her lawyer, an anonymous source told Politico. At Debbie Louis’s home, her husband let the agents inside while the couple’s four-year-old daughter was present.
Vesta Louis told Politico her daughters are innocent. “We are a Christian family, we don’t deal with monkey business,” she said. She added, “We deal with church and God and our jobs.” The mother said both sisters are now “scared to stay home” and “just speechless” after agents entered their bedrooms with guns.
Probe Targets Bribes Linked to Migrant Shelter Funding
The investigation centers on whether the Louis sisters and Edu Hermelyn received bribes in exchange for supporting BHRAGS Home Care Inc., a provider of migrant shelters.
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Hermelyn’s wife is a state assemblywoman and chairs the Brooklyn Democratic Party.
City records show Councilwoman Louis directed more than $70,000 in city spending to BHRAGS. Roberto Samedy, the former executive director of BHRAGS, donated $875 to Councilwoman Louis’s campaign, Politico reported.
On April 1 the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York indicted four men in the case, including Samedy.
A BHRAGS spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation that Samedy is on administrative leave. The organization said it is “fully cooperating with law enforcement.”
The spokesperson added, “For more than 50 years, BHRAGS has served New Yorkers in need with integrity and the highest ethical standards, and we take the allegations against Mr. Samedy seriously.” Frances Pierre has taken over as executive director.
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Spokespersons for Councilwoman Louis and Gov. Hochul did not respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also did not respond.
Why This Matters
The case directly involves two Democratic officials in New York who control public money for migrant shelters. Councilwoman Louis holds one of the longest continuous seats on the New York City Council. Debbie Louis works inside Gov. Hochul’s administration.
The $70,000 in city funds at issue came from taxpayer money allocated to a shelter provider now at the center of a federal bribery probe.
The raids and indictments have forced the families out of their homes and drawn attention to how public dollars flow to nonprofit contractors handling migrant services.
