Rabbi Weissmandl of Supreme Kosher said to have kept court-approved rabbis' payments for himself.
Remember when the court authorized paying back pay to certain Agriprocessors employees and to the rabbis and kosher supervisors working for Rabbi Weissmandl?
It seems many of those rabbis and mashgichim did not get the back pay the were promised.
Why?
Because Rabbi Weissmandl allegedly would not pay them.
Weissmandl allegedly took the money released by the court but kept about half for himself, rabbis said at the time. Weissmandl allegedly told mashgichim and rabbis that Agriprocessors is like a new company now and all former deals – and all money owed – are off.
And then Rabbi Weissmandl is said to have reminded the rabbis about the confidentiality agreement they each had signed and the very real ramifications of breaking it. Included in those ramifications (even if not stated openly) would be the difficulty finding another job in kosher ritual slaughter.
Two months later, these rabbis are apparently still owed back pay.
Joseph Sarachek, the court appointed trustee for Agriprocessors, is said to have been aware of this problem as it happened two months ago. It does not appear this problem has been reported to the court.
A question for you lawyers out there: If Rabbi Weissmandl withheld rabbis' court-approved back pay (or part of this back pay), and if Joseph Sarachek knew this and id not tell the court, have either violated the law?
If so, what would the potential penalties be for this violation?