Shmuel Cohen, the manager of Tzipi Livni’s campaign in the Kadima leadership race may become a liability to her campaign as the news unfolds that he has incurred heavy debts, leading to creditors moving to place a lien on money owed him by the Livni campaign to the tune of NIS hundreds of thousands.

Cohen’s difficulties began some ten years ago when he served as a strategic advisor to Kfar Saba Mayor Yitzchak Wolk, who was competing against his deputy mayor, Amiram Miller, in the mayoral race.

The campaign was a dirty one, leading to allegations that Miller insulted the fact that Wolk was a bereaved father. In 2004, the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court thought otherwise, finding Cohen’s actions unacceptable, ordering him to pay Miller a settlement of NIS 345,000 for making false allegations against him. According to Miller, he is still waiting for the money awarded him by the court.

During the last Knesset elections, Cohen served as an advisor to former Labor Party leader Amir Peretz. When the news of the Kfar Saba election became known to Peretz, Cohen stepped down.

On Sunday, Miller sent a harshly-worded letter to Livni, questioning her judgment in hiring Cohen, explaining his dirty campaign in the election a decade ago.

Responding to the report, Cohen released a statement, “Miller should do as he sees fit. He is a small man. The episode is far behind me. Police ruled I did nothing run and the entire matter is a civil one. Regarding the debt, most has been paid over the year, and what remains is approximately NIS 200,000.

Livni campaign officials report they have not yet received Miller’s letter, adding that Cohen is an outside contractor employed by an agency and the campaign has no other connection to him, rejecting any attempt to tie Livni to improper actions.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)