more Republicans that can't pass the smell test

The industrialist who made a $250,000 personal loan to Giuliani protegee, Kerik, was an Israeli billionaire and philanthropist, Eitan Wertheimer, whose family’s vast holdings include companies with United States Defense Department contracts. Brooklyn businessman Shimon Cohen who has been a friend of Mr. Kerik’s for several years is served as an intermediary in the transaction

The loan to Mr. Kerik came in June 2003 when he was on leave from his job at Giuliani Partners, the consulting firm of former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, and serving in Iraq as an adviser to the Interior Ministry for the Coalition Provisional Authority. In that post, which he held for three months, Mr. Kerik was assigned to train the Iraqi police.

The money actually came from the wealthy industrialist, from whom Mr. Cohen had borrowed the funds. Prosecutors have not offered any explanation as to what might have brought about the transaction, or why Mr. Wertheimer did not provide the funds directly.

Using an intermediary, the fact that there was no written agreement that outlined the terms of the loan, and the fact that it came from a family with defense contracts doesn't pass the smell test.