Olmert declares victory after court clears him

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he has been vindicated after being cleared of major corruption charges.

Olmert praised Tuesday's ruling by a Jerusalem court that dismissed charges of accepting cash-stuffed envelopes from an American supporter and profiting by double-billing supporters for overseas travel.

"There was no corruption. There was no taking of money, there was no use of money, there were no cash envelopes," he said.

Olmert was convicted of a lesser charge of breach of trust for steering contracts to friends of a business partner. He described the crime as a "procedural lapse" and vowed to learn the necessary lessons.