HaTzibur HaCharedi Rejects Pindrus’s Funding Allegations

HaTzibur HaCharedi, the party led by Moti Leitner, rejected allegations on Sunday that it received unlawful financing through the American Maimonides Fund. Its first response to United Torah Judaism MK Yitzhak Pindrus’s complaint also called for a thorough and swift examination by the State Comptroller. The party said it had acted and continued to act according to the law. “The fund mentioned in Pindrus’s false appeal to the State Comptroller did not assist the party,” it said, describing his complaint as false. It also urged Pindrus to address yeshiva students’ legal status and poverty and employment challenges in the Haredi community. In a letter dated November 10 and addressed to the State Comptroller’s office in Jerusalem, Pindrus alleged that information reaching him indicated that the US-based fund supplied money, services and resources for the party’s political activity, its leader and staff. He expressly conditioned his concern on that information being correct. Pindrus cited Section 8(a) of the Party Financing Law, 1973, arguing that corporate support, including free services, employees, property and other resources, could amount to prohibited in-kind donations. He requested an urgent examination of the financial and operational relationships and the extent of any resources supplied, followed by steps warranted by the findings.