Uri Messer handled Morris Talansky donations for Olmert

Olmert’s long-time friend and fellow attorney Uri Messer reportedly cooperates with the police investigation against the prime minister regarding the American donations. The money in question were not Moshe Talansky’s but collected by him. It is unknown what part of the money Morris Talansky has pocketed. Thus, Talansky received $90,000 kickbacks as a salary in 2004 for collecting donations for Shaarei Tzedek Hospital. He is not donating his own money for the last decade.
Morris Talansky allegedly passed the money either directly to Olmert or to his secretary Shula Zaken. The funds were to be used for Olmert’s mayoral and the Knesset elections. Both Olmert and Shula Zaken passed the funds to Uri Messer to be spent for campaign purposes.
The transaction is technically illegal, but just every political party and figure in Israel collects unaccounted cash from foreign donors for political purposes. Olmert is also accused of appropriating part of the collected funds for himself. Even if true, that’s also a standard practice among Israel establishment and indeed in every country. The Knesset hypocrites who bring in tons of cash from American donors slammed Olmert for accepting money from Talansky.
Outrageously, the Likud MK’s demand ousting Olmert amid the investigation. It’s not even an issue of “innocent until proven guilty,” long forgotten in Israeli trial-by-media. Olmert isn’t even indicted, and the accusations are murky. But Olmert accepted money collected by Morris Talansky specifically for the Likud! Olmert used the money for Likud election campaigns in Jerusalem and the Knesset.
There are no hints whatsoever that Olmert did anything improper in return for the money.
The statute of limitations for campaign financing crimes had passed.
Uri Messer’s cooperation with the police investigation to implicate Olmert is unlikely, as there is just no reason for Messer to do so. The case would entirely hinge on his testimony, and why would he implicate both himself and Olmert? It is much easier for Uri Messer to deny any wrongdoing as did Olmert during a short press conference following lifting the gag order.
Uri Messer is married to Deputy Attorney General Davida Lachman-Messer, hilariously in charge of tax and corporate matters, the very field of Uri Messer’s purportedly illegal activities as an attorney. That makes is easier for Attorney General Mazuz to press Uri Messer to testify against Olmert.
We received a yet unconfirmed report of Uri Messer suffering an odd traffic incident. A sensible insurer won’t make a policy on his life now.