New Yorker Paid for Israeli PM's Drycleaning

JERUSALEM, May 27, 2008 — -- The star witness in the fraud and bribery investigation that has rocked Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a court today that he gave Olmert envelopes stuffed with cash and was asked to pay for everything from expensive cigars to an Italian vacation.

Not all of the money was a gift, New York businessman Morris Talansky told the court.

Some of the cash "donations" handed over to Olmert were loans, which he expected to be repaid. "Famous last words," Talansky jokingly told the court when he explained that the money was never seen again.

In a pre-trial deposition, Talansky, 75, described giving envelopes stuffed with money to Olmert and his bureau chief Shula Zaken over a 15-year period.

On several occasions, according to Talansky, he met Olmert in hotels in New York and Washington to give him the bulging envelopes.

He said that on one occasion he paid $4,700 for Olmert's three-day stay at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, a bill which included dry cleaning and video rentals.

"I had a very close relationship with him, but I wish to add at this time that the relationship of 15 years was purely of admiration. I never expected anything personally. I never had any personal benefits from this relationship whatsoever," Talansky claimed.

His evidence is bound to fuel further speculation about Olmert's survival in the prime minister's office. Olmert denies accusations of wrongdoing and has said that all donations were used for legitimate political campaigning.

But the details revealed in court Tuesday will damage a prime minister who is already deeply unpopular with the electorate.

Olmert has promised to resign if he is indicted by the police and state prosecutors.

Talansky told the court that his relationship with Olmert began in the early 1990s, when Olmert was running for mayor of Jerusalem. "I looked at him as a man who could accomplish a great deal," Talansky said.

He also appreciated Olmert's "ability to articulate and to reach out to the American people … that's why I supported him. That's why I gave it [money] to him. That's why I supported the man, that's why I frankly overlooked and, honestly, a lot of things. I overlooked them. Maybe I shouldn't have, but I overlooked them."

Talansky claimed he was then asked to make contributions in cash for election expenses and this continued when Olmert tried to take over the leadership of the right-wing Likud Party in 2003. For this campaign Talansky admitted giving Olmert $72,500. Talansky estimated that in total his cash donations to Olmert amounted to $150,000.