Last February, the JC revealed the existence of an internal JLC audit from 2013 which reported that Mr Newmark had deceived the organisation out of tens of thousands of pounds.
We also reported how, in order to avoid a scandal, the JLC’s trustees decided to keep Mr Newmark’s behaviour secret and not inform the police.
Although the independent panel does not impugn the motives of the JLC trustees, it criticises their failure to exercise basic oversight and their decision to cover up the scandal rather than fully investigate and report it.
They say there was “little evidence of acceptable levels of financial control” and that Mr Newmark “had the facility to withdraw round cash sums from the bank and make payments into his personal bank account without supporting documentation.”
Following the JC’s story, Mr Newmark resigned as chair of the Jewish Labour Movement — although he remains leader of the Labour group on Hertsmere Council.
In the 2017 election he was the Labour candidate in Finchley and Golders Green and lost by only 1,657 votes.
