Netanyahu pressured lawmakers to vote for his lawyer in state comptroller election: Reports

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ruling Likud party pressured lawmakers to support his personal lawyer, Michael Rabello, in the election for state comptroller, according to Israeli media reports Wednesday.

The Times of Israel reported that lawmakers voted 61-57 in the Knesset to elect Rabello as state comptroller after a controversial repeat vote.

The state comptroller serves as Israel's independent government auditor and watchdog. Rabello's close ties to Netanyahu have raised concerns about the independence of the office.

The second round of voting was halted and rerun amid allegations that Likud lawmakers were pressured to photograph and even film their ballots to prove they had voted for Rabello and had not “betrayed” Netanyahu, despite legal requirements that the vote be conducted by secret ballot.

Opposition leaders accused Likud of undermining the integrity of the election and said they would petition Israel's High Court of Justice to annul the result, arguing lawmakers had been intimidated into revealing how they voted, according to the report.

Another Israeli daily, Yedioth Ahronoth, reported that clashes erupted in the Knesset plenum during the vote, forcing the process to be restarted after concerns emerged that coalition lawmakers were documenting their votes.

According to the newspaper, Likud instructed its lawmakers to record themselves voting for Rabello.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that footage circulated showing Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi filming himself casting a ballot for Rabello, while Likud lawmaker Hanoch Milwidsky was photographed holding up a ballot bearing Rabello’s name in a selfie.

Rabello is set to replace Matanyahu Englman, whose seven-year term ends this summer.