Tel-Chai Nation

Beit Shemesh's corrupt Haredi mayor had one of his associates arrested by a special police unit in connection with the election rigging:

An associate of the mayor of Beit Shemesh was arrested last week and remains in police custody over suspicions of involvement in voter fraud in last month’s contested municipal elections.

Police also questioned eight others, including the son of United Torah Judaism MK Meir Porush, but released them after questioning.

A gag order on the case was lifted late Sunday.

The police’s Lahav 443 special investigations unit began an examination of the allegations after police found 160 identity cards in an apartment and in a car in the city.

Investigators suspect that Shaya Brand, an associate of Mayor Moshe Abutbul, organized a plan to identify nonvoters and pay them for their identity cards, so that Abutbul supporters could use them to cast fraudulent votes, police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said.

I think it's becoming clearer than ever that they had the fix in right from the start and every intention of robbing the election. Just last week, Israel Hayom said:

Although almost the entire haredi public stands by Abutbul, the forgery incident has caused damage both to the mayor and to the haredi community. Moti Lavi, the courageous, sharp-tongued interviewer from the haredi radio station Kol Berama, dared to challenge Abutbul, saying: "You're lighting fires in Beit Shemesh, and the entire haredi community is paying the price."

Insulted, Abutbul accused his opponent, Cohen, of not having called to congratulate him. Right away, Lavi shouted: "People committed forgery, and you were elected by a narrow margin. So why can't you get that the other side is saying, 'Don't steal Beit Shemesh'?"

When Abutbul hurried to condemn the forgeries, Lavi attacked him yet again. "Then go to elections. Why do you insist on hanging on? You're clearly headed for a hard time, and it's obvious that the forgeries are an awful act for which the haredi community is paying a price. Be a gentleman. If you don't feel sure, say, 'Let's hold new elections.'"

It's good to know that even his own community is turning against him, noting that if he balks at a revote, he's only making things worse and pegging himself as a pointlessly greedy man. I wouldn't be surprised if he's deep up to his neck in this scandal, and on those grounds, should be disqualified from serving again.

Labels: haredi corruption, Israel, Moonbattery, political corruption