Congress, State Department

call for probe

into Ford findings

washington (jta) | Officials at the State Department and other government agencies indicate they are closely examining revelations that the Ford Foundation has been spending millions to fund groups that are critical of Israel and that refuse to sign the Treasury Department’s Certification Regarding Terrorist Financing. Moreover, some 20 congressmen have signed a letter of protest delivered to the foundation by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.).

The revelations arose as part of a JTA investigation.

Responding to the Ford Foundation information, a State Department spokesman for the Middle East declared, “In light of these charges, and because it is enforcement issue against a U.S.-based organization, it is an area in which we are talking to the Department of Justice. We are not a law enforcement agency. It is up to the Department of Justice to determine if U.S. laws are violated. But certainly, we are now undertaking a review.”

Sen. John Kerry’s team denies Sabbath strategy

washington (jta) | Arizona campaigners for Sen. John Kerry’s presidential bid denied that they have tried to use Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s Sabbath observance against him.

Three Arizona state legislators who support Lieberman told the Arizona Republic newspaper that Kerry’s Arizona campaign manager and another state legislator urged them to abandon Lieberman because the Jewish Democrat “can’t campaign three days a week.”

Lieberman often tries to make it to Washington or home to Connecticut to observe the Sabbath. State Rep. Ben Miranda and Mario Diaz, the campaign manager for Kerry, said the charges are false.

Arizona’s relatively early primary, Feb. 3, makes it an important campaign state.