A group of 13 current and former New York elected officials on Friday urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to affirm the dismissal of criminal charges against former New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, arguing that such a ruling would be necessary “[i]n order to protect the core values of the democratic system that we cherish.”

U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken of the Southern District of New York partially granted former Benjamin’s motion to dismiss his indictment in December, throwing out bribery and fraud charges while allowing the case to proceed on two falsification of records charges.