By Nathan Guttman May 1, 2009

With their phones ringing off the hook Friday, former Aipac lobbyists (and, we can now add, former defendants) Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman are trying to figure out what next.

Their lawyers celebrated the decision to dismiss the case with a media conference call and a joint statement in which they called for a further public review into why the investigation against the two pro-Israel lobbyists started in the first place.

But before that happens, there is still one issue to settle: money.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Aipac has already paid (after putting up a fight) millions of dollars in legal fees to the attorneys representing Rosen and Weissman. Now the former employees are seeking compensation for their more than four years of unemployment and loss of income since they were fired from the lobby in 2005.

Steve Rosen has filed a civil lawsuit against Aipac, but he expects, as do most observers who are following the case, that the lobby will settle with him before the lawsuit is heard in court.

The only person who had no reason to celebrate Friday was Larry Franklin, the former Pentagon analyst who was charged with providing Rosen and Weissman the information. Franklin had reached a plea agreement with the prosecution early on in the case and had expected his 12.5-year sentence to be reduced significantly after he testifies against Rosen and Weissman. Now, with no testimony needed, he is left at the mercy of the prosecution and the court, when it comes to reducing his prison term. Franklin has not yet begun to serve his sentence.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount