Eshel to receive a severe reprimand for his conduct; accused of forming inappropriate, unacceptable relationship with R.
By JOANNA PARASZCZUKNathan Eshel 311(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
The Civil Service Disciplinary Tribunal on Sunday accepted the plea bargain signed by former Prime Minister’s Office chief of staff Natan Eshel and Attorney- General Yehuda Weinstein.According to the complaint filed at the tribunal with the agreement of both sides, Eshel is accused of forming a close relationship with R., which was both inappropriate and unacceptable because of his superior civil service rank.As agreed under the plea bargain, Eshel will receive a severe reprimand for his conduct.The tribunal also accepted Eshel’s decision to resign from his post on March 1, and not to return to the civil service.Eshel has admitted to intruding on R.’s privacy by logging onto her computer without her permission and providing personal and private information about R. to various people in the Prime Minister’s Office without any professional reason for doing so. Eshel also intruded on R.’s privacy by taking photographs of her at various social events.The decision to accept the plea bargain came almost two weeks after the tribunal convened to discuss the deal.During that hearing both civil service representatives and Eshel’s counsel noted the role of the media in hyping the affair, with Eshel’s attorney, Jacob Weinroth, complaining of a “media hell.”The former PMO chief of staff was punished not by the legal authorities but by the shame the media had conferred on him, Weinroth said.
