Moti Leitner's Chareidi Public party on Sunday rejected claims by United Torah Judaism MK Yitzhak Pindrus that it received illegal funding through an American foundation. It was the party's first response to Pindrus's complaint to the State Comptroller.
Kikar HaShabbat reported on Friday that Pindrus had asked the State Comptroller to examine possible financial and operational ties between the US-based Maimonides Fund and the Chareidi Public party. In his complaint, Pindrus alleged that the foundation had provided money, services and resources for the party's activities. He said this violated Israel's party financing law, which prohibits parties from accepting donations from corporations.
"The Chareidi Public party has acted and continues to act solely in accordance with the provisions of the law," the party said in a statement. "The foundation mentioned in Pindrus's false complaint to the State Comptroller did not engage in assisting the party."
The party went beyond denying the allegations and urged the comptroller to investigate them. "We call on the State Comptroller to examine, once and for all, thoroughly and quickly, Mr. Pindrus's libelous accusations," the statement said.
The party also made the dispute personal. It told Pindrus to focus on the issues facing the chareidi community, including the status of yeshiva students with regard to military service. "We recommend that Yitzhak Pindrus start working on regularizing the status of yeshiva students, the shameful poverty in our community and the employment challenges, and do his job as an elected representative in the Knesset after four terms lacking in achievements and poor in action," the party said.
