Sara Netanyahu Accused of $100K Fraud Over Meals

Leader's wife accused of ordering pricey food, falsely claiming no cook was on premises
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 21, 2018 9:19 AM CDT
Netanyahu's Wife Indicted Over Bizarre Food Scandal
Sara Netanyahu arrives for a meeting in Paris earlier this month.   (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)

Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a corruption scandal, and now his wife is officially in hot water of her own. It's all about her apparent fondness for expensive meals. Authorities on Thursday indicted Sara Netanyahu on fraud charges over $100,000 in gourmet meals she and a staffer ordered to the prime minister's residence between 2010 and 2013, reports the Times of Israel. The pair allegedly placed the orders to high-end restaurants despite a law forbidding such purchases when a cook is living in the prime minister's residence. Authorities say she and the former deputy director of the prime minister's office, also indicted, falsely claimed that no such cooks were present.

The Jerusalem Post reports that negotiations were underway until the last minute to settle the "Prepared Food Affair" short of an indictment, but they fell through. Sara Netanyahu reportedly balked at a deal requiring a confession and a partial repayment, per the Times of Israel. She has previously denied any wrongdoing in the percolating scandal, reports CNN. The first lady could theoretically face five years in prison if convicted, but the AP sees that as unlikely. It wasn't immediately clear when a trial would begin, though the Post notes it's expected to start "after the fall Jewish holidays." (More Sara Netanyahu stories.)

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