Police get go-ahead to investigate Likud minister for nepotism, illegal fundraising
Ruling Likud party rails at prosecutors for authorizing opening of probe into May Golan, following TV report that also alleged she used parliamentary aides for personal tasks
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Aisman have granted authorization for police to investigate Social Equality Minister May Golan of Likud, Hebrew media reported Wednesday, after a television report alleged illegal practices in her office including widespread nepotism and dubious fundraising at a nonprofit group she established.
The prosecutors’ move prompted a fiery response from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, which accused Baharav-Miara and Aisman of selective enforcement against the government, highlighting the recent decisions to investigate the premier’s wife for allegedly seeking to intimidate a witness in the corruption case against her husband, and to indict three of the premier’s senior aides for witness intimidation.
“The attorney general is acting as the opposition’s legal arm and is engaged in a witch hunt and political persecution of the government and the prime minister,” charged a statement from Likud.
The statement also called Baharav-Miara “the legal adviser for toppling the government,” in a play on the attorney general’s official title of legal adviser to the government.
There was no immediate response from Golan, who has previously denied the accusations.
According to Channel 12 news, which aired the allegations against Golan in an investigate report last month, the police unit in charge of the investigation questioned a number of her associates in recent days but did not question them under caution as they provided full testimony.
The network’s report last month said that Golan, a right-wing firebrand who first gained public attention when she campaigned against the housing of illegal migrants in her home neighborhood of south Tel Aviv, hired a string of people in her office who were relatives of associates or influential colleagues, some of who did no actual work.
The investigation also found irregularities regarding Golan’s nonprofit organization, the Hebrew City, which campaigned against migrants, and accused Golan of using parliamentary aides for personal tasks in contravention of Knesset protocol. The report said aides were sent to drive her mother around, buy her food, collect packages, and distribute gifts to her friends.
Separately, police questioned Golan under caution last month for allegedly hitting and injuring a motorcyclist with her car in 2020, after evading the force for more than half a year despite several summons.
