Hartzler Joins Pittenger, 12 Colleagues Urging State Department and Obama Affiliate to Come Clean on Questionable Funding of Anti-Netanyahu Campaign

Statement

The U.S. State Department and a grassroots organization run by former operatives from President Obama's campaigns has come under scrutiny as reports broke Saturday accusing the non-profit group, OneVoice Movement, of using taxpayer funded grants to influence Israeli elections with the intent of ousting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Today, 14 Members of Congress, including Representatives Robert Pittenger (NC-09), Mike Bost (IL-12) Trent Franks (AZ-08), Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), Steve King (IA-04), Billy Long (MO-07), Mark Meadows (NC-11), Bill Posey (FL-08), Tom Rice (SC-07), Dennis Ross (FL-15), Tim Walberg (MI-07), Jackie Walorski (IN-02), Ed Whitfield (KY-01), and Joe Wilson (SC-02) released the following statement:

"As Members of Congress, we are greatly concerned to hear allegations of our own State Department spending American tax dollars that were then used to influence foreign elections. Israeli elections should be left to the citizens of Israel and not the influence of U.S. taxpayer-funded grants which may be considered illegal.

"We implore that OneVoice provide the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Rob Portman and Ranking Member Claire McCaskill a full accounting of their funding of Victory 15 and their political campaigning which appears to have as its objective to impact the outcome of the Israeli elections. Promotional and website information, including their slogan, "replace the government," provide clear indication of election organizing, beyond the legal status of a not-for-profit organization."

OneVoice Movement is a U.S. non-profit, tax-exempt organization with a subsidiary in Israel, that is reported now to be working with former Obama political operatives in V15 in Israel. OneVoice has allegedly used $350,000 in State Department grants to actively support campaign efforts against Prime Minister Netanyahu, in violation of U.S. law. In light of these allegations, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has launched a bipartisan investigation into the political activities of the organization.