This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7131540.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Abrahams warning for government | Abrahams warning for government |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Businessman David Abrahams has warned the government he will come out fighting if ministers start "hammering" him over the secret donations row. | Businessman David Abrahams has warned the government he will come out fighting if ministers start "hammering" him over the secret donations row. |
| In an interview with the Jewish Chronicle, Mr Abrahams said he donated cash secretly to avoid accusations of being part of a "Jewish conspiracy". | |
| He said all his money had been "earned legitimately", and none of it had come from Israel, as had been alleged. | |
| Police are probing £663,975 given to Labour by Mr Abrahams through proxies. | Police are probing £663,975 given to Labour by Mr Abrahams through proxies. |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said the party will pay all of the money back. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said the party will pay all of the money back. |
| Labour officials have been holding talks with the Electoral Commission over how the money should be repaid. | |
| 'Character assassination' | |
| Mr Abrahams used the interview to accuse Mr Brown's chief fundraiser, Jon Mendelsohn, of trying to "alienate" him from the Labour Friends of Israel. | |
| Mr Abrahams said he "had helped to build up" this organisation, but Mr Mendelsohn "thought he might have opposition" when he became its chairman. | |
| "He slagged me off over it and that's why I released the letter," Mr Abrahams added, referring to correspondence sent last month which allegedly contradicted Labour's claim that Mr Mendelsohn had not solicited money from Mr Abrahams. | |
| Mr Abrahams said some media reports about him since he was thrust into the public eye had been "character assassination, conjecture and speculation". | |
| "The Daily Telegraph was saying that the money was not mine and that it came from Israel," he said. | |
| "That was patently untrue. My accountant has recently done my books and it was all there. | |
| "The money was earned legitimately through hard work and it was totally wrong to say that it came from Israel." | |
| The interview is published in Friday's edition of The Jewish Chronicle. |