Brooklyn, NY – Council Candidate Isaac Abraham To Return Campaign Contribution Linked To NJ Probe

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    Brooklyn, NY – City Council candidate Isaac Abraham said he will “review” two $175 contributions he received from Naftoly Weber, who was among a dozen Brooklynites netted in a massive New Jersey corruption sting.

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    Abraham, who is running for the seat being vacated by comptroller hopeful/Councilman David Yassky, aims to become the Council’s first Hasidic Jewish member.

    Reached on his cell phone this evening, Abraham said he had been “shocked” to learn of the scandal and Weber’s involvement in it, adding: “We see each other constantly; going to shul, coming to shul. The Hasidic community, as you know, is very tight-knit.”

    That said, Abraham insisted he did not recall receiving the $175 contributions from Weber last fall (one on Sept. 22 and another on Sept. 29) and initially professed not to remember exactly how large they had been.

    “The campaign is now a year old; there have been many phases to it, and getting contributions was not the highest priority,” he said. “I don’t think the contributions were anything sizable. I remember it wasn’t something that it should be engraved…I think it was a pretty low contribution that he gave to a friend of mine, not to me.”

    “Somebody solicited a contribution from him,” Abraham continued. “I have not had many fundraisers. I have been handing out envelopes, asking people to mail in their contributions. I have friends who have asked for $5, friends who have asked for $2. They go straight to my accountant. I don’t even see them.”

    Abraham said he will ask his accountant and his attorney to review Weber’s contributions and “if it has to be returned, then it will be.”

    According to a DOJ press release, Weber ran a “cash house” from his Brooklyn office for a money-laundering rabbi, Mordechi Fish, and is charged with “supplying $125,000 in cash” of the $585,000 Fish allegedly laundered.

    Also arrested in the sting was the grand rabbi of the Syrian Jewish community in the United States, Saul Kassin of Brooklyn. Another resident of the borough, Levy-Izhak Rosenbaum, was accused of enticing people to part with a kidney for $10,000 and then selling the organ for $16,000.

    Weber is listed on the CFB as working for the “Southside Agency”/self-employed.

    Asked for his reaction to the scandal on the whole, Abraham said.

    “I’m very, very surprised. I don’t think the community has digested it yet, while they know the charges, I don’t think they understand what the charges are…I’m baffled when they say somebody tried to sell on organ. It’s not something we hear in this community every day. We don’t sell organs, unless it’s a musical instrument.”


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    3 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    instead to sutup or defand these innocent people that where framed by this roshe merushe drek even the nyt writes how they where framed abram your just a simple wimp kiss a. like the others

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Any other politicians willing to follow his lead?

    Bob
    Bob
    14 years ago

    As of today at the polls for Isaac Abraham is very high and having chances to become the first orthodox city councilman for the city of NY. He wasn’t challenged at all by the board of election, since he and his campaign was following regulations etc. the press is just trying to take him for a ride but it’s not happening… Williamsburg needs a person like him he will defiantly proof him self and trying to do a good job to serve his community , lets wish him a lots of HATZLUCHA.. We all say GO ISAAC GO!!!