A legal storm has engulfed the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), after two of its board members have taken the unprecedented step of suing its long-serving president, Morton Klein. The lawsuit, filed by Brian Grodman and Paul Tartell, alleges that Klein has engaged in financial misconduct, amassing millions of dollars from the organization inappropriately while mismanaging ZOA's response to the October 7th Hamas attacks. The plaintiffs argue that Klein has effectively sidelined the organization, diminishing its role in the Jewish community’s response to the crisis.
Klein, a figure synonymous with ZOA for decades, has consistently faced accusations of mismanagement. Despite these, he has maintained his position since 1994, navigating the organization through turbulent times. However, this latest lawsuit could pose the greatest threat to his leadership yet, as Grodman and Tartell seek to remove him from his post entirely. They argue that his self-interest has crippled ZOA, turning it from a once-formidable pro-Israel force into what they describe as "at best an irrelevancy, and at worst a joke."
In response, Klein has enlisted Marc Kasowitz, a prominent attorney who previously represented Donald Trump as his personal outside attorney, to defend him against these claims. Kasowitz has lashed out at the board members, accusing them of waging a "selfish and ego-driven jihad" against Klein. He dismisses their accusations as frivolous and rooted in philosophical disagreements rather than genuine concerns about financial mismanagement.
Tartell and Grodman’s lawsuit paints a picture of an organization deeply divided, with factions forming around Klein's controversial leadership style. At a board meeting in July, Grodman and Tartell attempted to initiate an independent investigation into Klein’s conduct. However, the investigation was quickly stifled by Klein's legal team, which declared it unauthorized. This power struggle has left the organization in a state of paralysis, with Klein’s supporters and detractors locked in a bitter feud.
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Hamas terrorists break through Gaza border on Oct. 7; the lawsuit accuses President Mort Klein of mismanaging ZOA's response to massacre
The allegations against Klein are severe. The lawsuit claims he has used ZOA’s funds to support a lavish lifestyle, including first-class travel, luxury hotel stays and high-end limousine services. The plaintiffs argue that these expenses are not only inappropriate but also symptomatic of a broader pattern of financial mismanagement. They assert that Klein has received unauthorized pay raises, inflating his salary to $600,000 in recent years, a significant increase from the $573,000 reported in 2022. According to the lawsuit, Klein owes ZOA at least $5 million.
Kasowitz, however, has dismissed these claims as baseless, arguing that every action taken by Klein has been in service of ZOA’s mission. He contends that the plaintiffs have failed to provide any evidence of financial misconduct, branding their lawsuit as an attempt to hijack the organization at a critical time for Jews and Israel.
The conservative, right-leaning Zionist group that opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state was once a central force in the Zionist movement
The lawsuit also highlights ZOA’s declining influence, noting its absence from key initiatives like the 10/7 Project, which was established to coordinate pro-Israel messaging in the wake of the Gaza conflict. Tartell and Grodman argue that ZOA has been sidelined by major Jewish organizations, leaving it without a significant presence on college campuses, no office in Israel, and estranged from much of the Jewish community. They see Klein’s leadership as the root cause of these issues, accusing him of turning ZOA into a shadow of its former self. The conservative, right-leaning Zionist group that opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state was once a central force in the Zionist movement.
Klein’s defenders, however, see things differently. They argue that his hardline stance on Israel has been vindicated by history, pointing to his willingness to take on unpopular positions in defense of Jewish interests. Despite the ongoing legal battles and internal conflicts, Klein’s supporters maintain that he is the right person to lead ZOA, even as the organization faces one of the most significant challenges in its history.
If the lawsuit succeeds in its bid to unseat Klein, it could mark the end of an era for ZOA, a group that has played a pivotal role in the American pro-Israel movement for over a century.