Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak is playing down his ties with Jeffrey Epstein – the US financier jailed on sex-trafficking charges.
Barak's connection with Epstein has emerged in Israel just days after the 78-year-old former premier announced his political comeback in a bid to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Barak formed a limited partnership company in Israel in 2015, called Sum (E.B.) 2015, to invest in a high-tech startup then called Reporty, now named Carbyne, which developed video streaming and geolocation software for emergency services, the Haaretz daily newspaper reported. A large part of the money used by Sum to buy Reporty stock was reportedly supplied by Epstein.
According to US tax records, Barak received some $2.3 million in grants last decade from the Wexner Foundation – a philanthropic organization that supports Jewish causes founded by US billionaire Leslie Wexner.
The documents say the grants were for unspecified "research." At the time of the grants, Epstein was a trustee of the foundation.
Netanyahu has accused the media of remaining "silent" about the matter and the Likud party on Wednesday submitted a request to Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit to launch an investigation.
According to the Likud, Barak and the Wexner Foundation refuse to reveal the purpose of the payment, which was never made public while Barak was in public office.
"Mr. Barak was photographed leaving Epstein's apartment in 2016. The two were so close that Barak's name even appeared in Mr. Epstein's 'black book' [of acquaintances that was seized by US authorities]. In this context, there is a real need to examine whether the 'grants' Barak received from the Wexner Foundation and/or Mr. Epstein ceased in 2006 or whether they changed shape in the ensuing years and continued to be provided," an attorney for the Likud party said in the official request to Mendelblit.
In a radio interview Thursday, Barak said he met Epstein several times but that he "didn't support me or pay me."
He said he has met many people over the years, some of whom turned out to be involved in "problematic things," including Harvey Weinstein.
"I also met Netanyahu," he quipped.
The Wexner Foundation did not immediately respond to queries seeking comment.
