Billionaire Jewish-American philanthropist Michael Steinhardt is under investigation over "inappropriate sexual remarks" made toward two female employees working with one of the many organizations he supports, according to The Jewish Week.
The newspaper reported that the internal probe was being conducted by Hillel International: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, the largest Jewish youth organization in the world.
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Washington-based attorney Debra Katz was quoted by The Jewish Week as saying, "My client did raise concerns regarding Michael Steinhardt to Hillel and that she is cooperating fully with Hillel's investigation."
In a phone interview with The Jewish Week on June 31, Steinhardt commented on the charges, stressing that the two women "can't be accusing me of anything other than words."
"Words are not necessarily innocent," he said, but added that they are not in terms of "touching or grabbing."
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Meanwhile, the Haaretz newspaper has suggested that the news about Hillel's probe against Steinhardt would almost surely "rock the world of philanthropy" given the fact that as of the mid-1990s, he has spent "most of his time and attention to his philanthropic pursuits."
Steinhardt is known to have contributed millions of dollars to Hillel and its affiliates in the past 10 years, with Forbes estimating his current wealth at a whopping $1.1 billion.
