Businessman Morris Talansky, witness in Ehud Olmert trial, passes away at 92

According to the verdict, Talansky transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to former prime minister Olmert over several years.

 U.S. businessman Morris Talansky appears in court in Jerusalem June 28, 2009. Talansky, at the centre of a bribery case against former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, appeared at Jerusalem District Court on Sunday to resume his testimony. (photo credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
U.S. businessman Morris Talansky appears in court in Jerusalem June 28, 2009. Talansky, at the centre of a bribery case against former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, appeared at Jerusalem District Court on Sunday to resume his testimony.
(photo credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)

Jewish-American businessman Morris Talansky passed away on Monday evening at the age of 92.

Talansky, who also goes by "Moshe," was known for serving as a key witness in the "Cash Envelopes" affair, in which former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was convicted of receiving money illegally while serving as mayor of Jerusalem.

According to the court case, Talansky transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to Olmert over several years. At the trial, Olmert said in 2011 that he denied ever demanding cash bribes from Talansky. 

Money given by Talansky completely legal, Olmert's defense had said

Olmert's defense later said in September of that year that the donations from Talansky were legal, after prosecutors alleged that the former prime minister failed to report the donations to the State Comptroller.

The indictment said that Talansky gave Olmert the money as a personal loan, which the Israeli leader allegedly stashed away unreported to the tax authority.

 Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert listens to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (not seen) speak during a news conference at the Grand Hyatt hotel in New York, U.S., February 11, 2020. (credit: REUTERS/YANA PASKOVA)
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert listens to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (not seen) speak during a news conference at the Grand Hyatt hotel in New York, U.S., February 11, 2020. (credit: REUTERS/YANA PASKOVA)

He was laid to rest in a cemetery in Beit Shemesh, according to Ynet. He was an Orthodox Jew from Long Island, New York.

Both he and Olmert jointly founded the New Jerusalem Fund, a charity aimed at raising money for projects in Israel's capital.

Yaakov Lappin, Ron Friedman, and Joanna Paraszczuk contributed to this report.