MK Yachimovich 2015’s highest spender on ‘voter relations’
The Zionist Union MK spent NIS 67,972 in that well-known but vague field in 2015, topping the list. Yachimovich, the former Labor Party chairperson, also used surplus funds from 2014.
According to an annual report published Thursday, the Knesset member who spent the most money on “voter relations” is MK Shelly Yachimovich of the Zionist Union, whose expenditures on the fairly vague budgetary activity came to NIS 67,972.
Yachimovich did, however, have a surplus of funds from 2014, which constituted part of her expenditures. Most of Yachimovich’s budget was spend on activities relating to social networks – NIS 30,599, with 17,778 going towards different publications and advertisement.
The next highest spender after Yachimovich is MK Nissan Slomiansky (Bayit Yehudi), with expenditures of NIS 63,510. Slomiansky allocated NIS 22,500 for renting a parliamentary office, NIS 17,785 on salaries for an employee in training, NIS 5,508 for a computer, and NIS 4,023 for newspapers.
Third place belongs to MK Tamar Zandberg (Meretz), who spent a total of NIS 62,832. NIS 11,667 of this was on an office management system, NIS 18,759 on renting an additional parliamentary office, and 5,508 on a computer.
Controversial MK Oren Hazan (Likud) spent NIS 681 on language classes, and NIS 6,906 on press clippings. Hazan spent NIS 4,446 on two cellular phones, and about NIS 1,000 on a PR conference.
The MK who spent the least amount of money on this curious task is none other than Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, with NIS 0 allocated to voter relations in 2015. It should be said, however, that ministers - unlike regular MKs - have separate budgetary allocations for managing their ministerial offices, which may make their expenditures seem lower.
