Olmert Convicted in 'Cash Envelope' Retrial

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert could be facing up to five additional years in prison after the Jerusalem District Court reversed an earlier acquittal in the Talansky case.

In July 2012, the court acquitted Olmert on charges of receiving tens of thousands of dollars in cash-stuffed envelopes from American Jewish businessman Morris Talansky.

After months of criminal and civil investigations, Olmert resigned from the premiership in 2008 to face charges of bribery, breach of public trust, fraud and tax evasion, among others, in several cases, including the Talansky affair.

After reviewing new evidence and hearing additional testimony by Olmert's former bureau chief Sheila Zaken, the judges reversed the earlier acquittal.

Zaken, who initially tried to defend her former boss, accepted a plea bargain in exchange for testifying against him. She was recently released after serving an 11-month sentence and paying a 100,000 shekel fine.

In March 2014, the Tel Aviv District Court convicted Olmert of bribery in the Holyland Foundation trial, sentencing him to six years.