Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's eldest son pleaded guilty today to illegal fund-raising charges stemming from his father's 1999 election campaign.
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 the son of the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at the trial Tel Aviv
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 (€144,900) for party primaries, an amount that Sheinman said was unrealistic. Omri Sharon collected about 6 million shekels (€1.08 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