Rabillo Tells High Court His Election as State Comptroller Was Lawful

Attorney Michael Rabillo told the High Court of Justice on Monday that his election as State Comptroller was lawful and rejected claims that it was politically dependent. His response came after former Supreme Court justice Yosef Elron, now retired, filed a preliminary reply to petitions challenging Rabillo’s election in a Knesset vote and backed both the petitioners’ argument that the second ballot was illegal and their request for an interim order freezing Rabillo’s entry into office.

The petition was filed by the Movement for Quality Government, which argued that the process that chose Rabillo as comptroller was tainted and should be annulled. The group asked the court to cancel the decision and require a new legal selection process. It said the comptroller should have been elected by a secret ballot.

According to the reports cited in the petition, during the second round of voting, coalition lawmakers were required to pose behind the voting booth with Rabillo’s ballot paper as a test of loyalty. The Knesset’s legal adviser ruled that the instruction was unlawful, but lawmakers still documented their votes, some with photos and others on video, and some even came out of the booth with their ballots visible to everyone.

The petitioners say that the loss of ballot secrecy invalidated the election result and therefore undermined the legality of the decision made through it. The court is being asked to decide both whether to freeze Rabillo’s appointment and whether the Knesset vote should be struck down and repeated.