Olmert Charged With Corruption

(NEWSER) - Israeli police have recommended the indictment of the country's foreign minister for bribery, money laundering, and other corruption charges, Haaretz reports. Avigdor Lieberman, who leads the ultranationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party and was kingmaker in February's closely-run election, has been under investigation for years and is accused of funneling cash to a chain of front companies and bank accounts even after he became a minister. If charged and convicted he faces 31 years in jail. More»

PM double-billed travel, police allege

(NEWSER) - Outgoing PM Ehud Olmert will be charged with fraud, abuse of confidence, and falsification of documents, Israel’s attorney general said today, a move that could force Olmert to leave office sooner than his intended February departure, the Times reports. The scandal—involving Olmert’s political appointments, travel expenses, and a real-estate deal—is one of several that forced him to resign. More»

Study shows more convictions there than any other federal jurisdiction

(NEWSER) - Chicago really is the cesspit of corruption you think it is, according to a new study from the University of Illinois. It found that the Windy City and its environs had had more corruption convictions than any other federal jurisdiction in the last 36 years, with 1,531. Illinois had 1,828 overall, the third most of any state. More»

Counts date back to time as mayor of Jerusalem

(NEWSER) - Things got worse for Ehud Olmert today, as the former Israeli prime minister was indicted on charges related to bribes he allegedly took back when he was mayor of Jerusalem. Olmert is already on trial for three unrelated counts, but the new charges are the most serious: He’s accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars to facilitate the construction of a massive Jerusalem housing complex widely known as "the monster," the New York Times reports. More»

She hid cash as FBI waited at door; bribery charges likely

(NEWSER) - If two FBI agents showed up on your doorstep, it's understandable that you might call your spouse and ask what to do. But that's where Leslie Johnson and Everyman parted ways yesterday morning: "Don't answer it," husband and prominent Democratic Maryland politician Jack Johnson told her, while instructing her to find a $100,000 check from a real estate developer. "Shall I put it down the toilet?" asked Leslie as the feds waited outside. "Yes, flush that," Jack Johnson responded. Problem? The FBI was bugging the call. More»