New York, NY – Sources close to an FBI investigation say that a top Israeli official visited Orthodox Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto in 2011 and tried to intimidate the rabbi into continuing to maintain his support for U.S. Rep from Staten Island Michael Grimm.
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NYPOST.com (http://bit.ly/1oolZL4) reports that according to one source, Yaakov Neeman, who at the time was Israel’s Justice Minister, met with Pinto at his Ashdod home, telling him he would be “ruined” in Israel if he continued to cooperate with the FBI.
Pinto, who originally testified against Grimm in an extortion case in 2010, was charged with extortion himself in Israel and placed under house arrest in October of 2012.
Pinto’s Manhattan attorney Arthur Aidala said the rabbi has been “victimized once again.”
Grimm, who is currently awaiting trial on charges of tax fraud, perjury and obstruction stemming from his ownership in a Manhattan restaurant, released a statement denying any connection to alleged intimidation of Pinto.
Pure lashon harah during Aseres Yimei Teshuvah.