In a Sunday night Channel 10 News interview, Moshe Morris Talansky stated that he did not track funds given to Ehud Olmert when he arrived in the United States to raise money for his Jerusalem mayoral campaign.

Talansky stated that to the best of his knowledge, he was giving money towards Olmert’s campaign and to date; he has not heard the funds were allocated for anything else.

Talansky rejected reports that the funds given to Olmert were a bribe to further his business interests in Israel, stating, “I do not have factories or real estate. I own one real estate holding. Check all the records. I have no business interests [in Israel]. The allegations are absurd.”

Talansky stated that he responded to all the questions posed by police, adding, “I have nothing to hide.”

He went on to explain that his decision to assist the Olmert campaign surrounded his belief that this was a mitzvah of assisting in the building of Eretz Yisrael, telling listeners it is worthwhile to recite a chapter of Tehillim each day.

When asked about reported fears that Olmert may try to get to him or harm him, he rejected the accusations as ridiculous. Regarding reports that the investigation and Talansky’s role are part of a politically motivated plot, Talansky stated “it is among the most amusing stories I have heard in my life,” denying the accuracy of the reports.

[To watch a video of Mr. Talansky being interviewed by Haaretz, Click HERE; and you will be redirected to the Haarezt website.]

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)