The Likud's Debts, Saar's Exceptions and the Right's Fine: Comptroller's Report on Party Expenditures

In a report released just before the parties storm the public with SMS polls and voter recruitment apps, Engelman warns that they are not properly protecting political databases, which include private information about functionaries, donors or supporters.

And also: How much money does Ehud Barak's party owe?

Walla!

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12/07/2022

Tuesday, July 12, 2022, 12:00 p.m.

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Ganz and Saar announced a joint run: "We intend to form a broad national unity government" (Contact)

With the start of the fifth election campaign, and just before the parties storm the public with SMS polls and voter recruitment apps - State Comptroller Netanyahu Engelman warns that the parties are not properly protecting the political databases, which include private information about functionaries, donors or supporters.

In an audit report published by the Comptroller on the parties' accounts, he notes that most parties do not meet their information security obligations under the Privacy Protection Law and make contracts with commercial companies, without checking the legality of the information or the consent of the people to be included in the database.

"In an age where engagement with voters is increasingly being made through digital means, there is exposure to greater risks than ever before when it comes to protecting voters' privacy and securing personal information concerning them," the comptroller wrote in the report. And to follow the rules and restrictions set forth in the Protection of Privacy Law and Regulations even when using information from the voter register or the information based on it. "

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Likud headquarters after the last election, 2021 (Photo: Reuven Castro)

The auditor's report mainly relates to the expenses and income accounts and deficits of the parties in the 24th Knesset election campaign.

He reveals, among other things, that the Likud has a debt of close to NIS 28 million to the tax authority, following a late report and non-payment of tax on the employment of activists in the four election campaigns.

The Likud, according to the comptroller, reported only at the end of 2021 the employment of activists in campaigns, and did not transfer the taxes deducted from their salaries originally for nearly two years.

The total debt, with interest and linkage differences, reaches NIS 28 million, including interest and linkage differences.

The comptroller notes that the Likud submitted a request to cancel the fines and spread the debt arrangements, but also bought the party for a quarter of a million shekels due to activities that are not in accordance with the provisions of the Taxation of Payments Law during the election period.

Agudat Israel, part of Torah Judaism, was also fined NIS 100,000 for the same reason - late reporting on the employment of activists and workers and non-payment of the tax deducted from their salaries as required by law.

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To the full article

More than 80% above the allowable spending ceiling.

Saar (Photo: Reuven Castro)

Gideon Saar's new hope was also fined a quarter of a shekel by the state comptroller, for exceeding the spending ceiling in the fourth election campaign.

New Hope, according to the report, exceeded its spending ceiling by more than NIS 13 million, more than 80% above the allowable spending ceiling.

The right of former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was also fined NIS 50,000 for exceeding the campaign's spending ceiling.

Both parties hoped to get far more seats in the previous election than they ended up with in the end, and ran a campaign based on optimistic forecasts also in terms of funding.

The report reveals the heavy debt accumulated over 4 systems.

Engelman (Photo: Mark Israel Salem)

The report reveals the heavy debt accumulated to the parties during four election campaigns and the total deficits accumulated by about 12 parties stands at NIS 128 million - as of March 2021. The auditor notes that the factions roll, from election to election, the parties' current funding The voter, to cover the deficits they accumulate from campaign to campaign.

In addition, the report reveals that the total loans that the factions received from the Knesset for election financing amounts to NIS 181 million and warns that the loans also roll from election to election and therefore there is a high chance that they will not be repaid and become bad debts.

Balances of NIS 12 million

Another issue in the auditor's report concerns the debts of parties that have already ceased to exist in the Knesset, such as "All of Us" by Moshe Kahlon, TLM by Moshe Ya'alon, "Independence" by Ehud Barak, "The Movement" by Tzipi Livni, and the Green Movement in

early autumn.

In the hands of past parties, there are balances of funds from party funding totaling close to NIS 12 million that they must return to the state: "all of us" have a balance of close to NIS 6 million, Ya'alon has NIS 4.6 million, and Livni's movement has a balance of NIS 1.3 million more than the 20th Knesset.

The three parties were asked to present an arrangement to return the money to the Knesset. Its financial obligations.

In response to the report, a new hope was expressed: "A new hope respects the decision of the State Comptroller and will act in accordance with it.

It will be clarified that the party's financial conduct throughout the previous election campaign was prudent, careful and impeccable.

The budget was carefully planned and adjustments were made during the election campaign according to the assessment of seats, in accordance with research and surveys in the relevant period.

"Since this is a new party, the ceiling for spending is determined mainly by the number of seats received in the election only, which increases the level of uncertainty."

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• State Comptroller

• Matanyahu Engelman

• The Likud

• a new hope

• right

• Ehud Barak