Israel PM illicitly took $300,000 to pay legal expenses

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara received $300,000 without first obtaining permission from the State Comptroller’s office, Israeli daily Haaretz reported Thursday.

According to the newspaper, the PM and his wife received the money -- intended to pay for their mounting legal expenses amid multiple corruption probes -- from Jewish-American businessman Nathan Milikowsky.

“The [State Comptroller’s] permits committee had rejected Netanyahu’s request that he be allowed to receive funding for his legal expenses from two businessmen [including Milikowsky] with whom he is on good terms,” Haaretz reported.

According to an earlier committee ruling, it is improper for wealthy acquaintances to finance legal expenses stemming from ongoing criminal investigations.

The Israeli attorney-general’s office is expected to issue a final decision in March on whether or not to indict Netanyahu in three separate corruption cases.