Thank you for this post. The below is added as research, not as a claim that anyone did anything illegal, but I think it’s important for people to realize the significance of this particular angle.
If Shmuley Boteach was asking for money in return for getting people access to Miriam Adelson, that could raise legal questions.
It matters more because Adelson was a major pro-Trump donor, including the widely reported $100 million gift to the pro-Trump super PAC Preserve America in 2024.
A few things investigators would look at for Boteach:
Selling something he couldn't deliver: If he told people "pay me and I'll get you a meeting with Adelson" but couldn't actually do that, that could be fraud.
Selling access without permission: As you mention, even if he could arrange a meeting, did Adelson give him permission to sell or arrange access to her?
Hiding political money: If a payment was really meant to support Trump, a campaign, or a super PAC but was described as a consulting fee, donation, or personal gift, that could create campaign-finance problems. Federal law also bars hiding the true source of a political contribution.
Money sent to family in Israel: Asking people to send money to relatives, family businesses, or charities in Israel is not automatically illegal. Investigators would ask why it was sent there, who really benefited, and whether it was for real work or a way to hide payment for access or influence.
Foreign influence work: Israelis have every right to seek a meeting with Adelson. A meeting with a wealthy donor isn't illegal by itself. The questions start if Israeli individuals or groups paid Boteach or related entities to get that meeting, or if Boteach was being paid to help a foreign person or company influence US politics without registering and reporting that work. Being Israeli, Jewish, pro-Israel, or friendly with Adelson does not itself trigger a violation.
A deal for government action: The most serious issue would be a clear bargain — money in return for a specific government decision, like "pay this and Trump will take this exact action." That's the kind of quid pro quo that can become bribery.
For Trump, the issue would be who controlled access to him — a chain like:
Person seeking influence -> Boteach -> Trump.
That can look like wealthy donors and their friends act as private gatekeepers, which raises appearance problems about money buying a place in line and about whether a donor's foreign-policy preferences carried special weight.
Of course, to prove criminal wrongdoing you'd need documents, not rumors: texts or emails saying money would buy access, bank transfers and invoices, proof of what the payer expected in return, evidence Adelson authorized meetings, calendars and visitor logs, and campaign and super PAC records showing money was reported correctly.
And sending money to Boteach's family in Israel, or Israelis seeking access to Adelson, would not automatically mean a crime happened.
But it would be reasonable to investigate whether it was really a hidden payment for access, a hidden political contribution, or payment to influence US policy.
Thank you for this post. The below is added as research, not as a claim that anyone did anything illegal, but I think it’s important for people to realize the significance of this particular angle.
If Shmuley Boteach was asking for money in return for getting people access to Miriam Adelson, that could raise legal questions.
It matters more because Adelson was a major pro-Trump donor, including the widely reported $100 million gift to the pro-Trump super PAC Preserve America in 2024.
A few things investigators would look at for Boteach:
Selling something he couldn't deliver: If he told people "pay me and I'll get you a meeting with Adelson" but couldn't actually do that, that could be fraud.
Selling access without permission: As you mention, even if he could arrange a meeting, did Adelson give him permission to sell or arrange access to her?
Hiding political money: If a payment was really meant to support Trump, a campaign, or a super PAC but was described as a consulting fee, donation, or personal gift, that could create campaign-finance problems. Federal law also bars hiding the true source of a political contribution.
Money sent to family in Israel: Asking people to send money to relatives, family businesses, or charities in Israel is not automatically illegal. Investigators would ask why it was sent there, who really benefited, and whether it was for real work or a way to hide payment for access or influence.
Foreign influence work: Israelis have every right to seek a meeting with Adelson. A meeting with a wealthy donor isn't illegal by itself. The questions start if Israeli individuals or groups paid Boteach or related entities to get that meeting, or if Boteach was being paid to help a foreign person or company influence US politics without registering and reporting that work. Being Israeli, Jewish, pro-Israel, or friendly with Adelson does not itself trigger a violation.
A deal for government action: The most serious issue would be a clear bargain — money in return for a specific government decision, like "pay this and Trump will take this exact action." That's the kind of quid pro quo that can become bribery.
For Trump, the issue would be who controlled access to him — a chain like:
Person seeking influence -> Boteach -> Trump.
That can look like wealthy donors and their friends act as private gatekeepers, which raises appearance problems about money buying a place in line and about whether a donor's foreign-policy preferences carried special weight.
Of course, to prove criminal wrongdoing you'd need documents, not rumors: texts or emails saying money would buy access, bank transfers and invoices, proof of what the payer expected in return, evidence Adelson authorized meetings, calendars and visitor logs, and campaign and super PAC records showing money was reported correctly.
And sending money to Boteach's family in Israel, or Israelis seeking access to Adelson, would not automatically mean a crime happened.
But it would be reasonable to investigate whether it was really a hidden payment for access, a hidden political contribution, or payment to influence US policy.
Thank you for your comment. There is more to come very soon. Stay tuned to this space.
Nothing hurts Jews more than gatekeeping. Three Israeli Americans are awaiting sentencing because of it
Agreed.