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Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's eldest son pleaded guilty Tuesday
to illegal fund-raising charges stemming from his father's 1999 election campaign,
his attorney said.
Omri Sharon and his brother, Gilad, helped their father sweep a 1999 primary
in the Likud Party, overseeing parts of the campaign and fund-raising.
Omri Sharon, a member of parliament, admitted to all the charges, but is demanding
a light sentence, his attorney, Dan Sheinman, told Israel Radio.
Sharon admitted to falsifying corporate documents, perjury and violating the
party funding law. Under a plea deal, prosecutors dropped more serious charges
of fraud and breach of trust.
But the state was insisting Sharon serve a prison sentence. The charges carry
a maximum of five years in prison, but the actual jail sentence is expected
to be much lighter.
The campaign law in 1999 allowed politicians to collect 800,000 shekels ($169,000)
for party primaries, an amount that Sheinman said was unrealistic. Omri Sharon
collected about 6 million shekels ($1.3 million).
The law has never been enforced, and character witnesses will testify that
Omri Sharon is an upstanding public figure, Sheinman said. In addition, he said,
lawmakers are now updating the legislation with more realistic figures.
Ariel Sharon's two terms as prime minister have been marred by scandals
over shady campaign financing and real estate deals, but the prime minister
himself has escaped indictment.
