by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright November 9, 2007
All Rights Reserved.

eading the charge to the Republican nomination, former New York Mayor Rudolf Giuliani hid that his business partner and good friend former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik faced charges for corruption. Kerik had taken an active role in Giuliani's presidential campaign until recently when he was indicted Nov. 8 on 14 counts of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, tax evasion and lying to the IRS. In 2006, Kerik pled guilty to the Bronx District Attorney for unspecified ethics violations, paying $221,00 in fines. Giuliani has been joined at the hip with Kerik since his days as N.Y. City Mayor starting Jan. 1, 1994. Kerik reportedly served as Giulians's personal driver and bodyguard before appointed N.Y. City Police Commissioner Aug. 21 2000, despite lacking qualifications. Giuliani severed his business relationship with Kerik in Dec. 2004 yet maintained a close friendship.

      Kerik served as Senior Vice President of Giuliani Partners LLC and CEO of Giuliani-Kerik LLC [2002-2004]. Kerik resigned from both positions in 2004, despite swirling charges regarding his tenure as N.Y. City Police Commissioner, ending Dec. 31, 2001 when Guiliani left office. President George W. Bush appointed Kerik in May 2003 Interim Iraq Interior Minister and Senior Policy Advisor to Iraq's acting Viceroy L. Paul Brenner. Despite implicated in an affair with the Harper Collins' book publisher Judith Regan in 2001, Bush nominated Kerik Dec. 3, 2004 to replace former Penn. Gov. Tom Ridge as the next Homeland Security Secretary. Bush withdrew his nomination because Kerik admitted to employing an undocumented housekeeper. Few knew that Kerik was under investigation for receiving $255,000 in free renovations from a mafia-linked contractor seeking N.Y. City business.

      Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) slammed Giuliani for his long association with Kerik, especially for recommending him to Bush for Homeland Security chief. McCain also noted that, while serving as a senior police advisor to L. Paul Breener in Iraq, Kerik dropped the ball. “I don't know Mr. Kerik. I do know that I went to Baghdad shortly after the initial victory and met in Baghdad with [Ambassador Paul] Bremer and [Lt. Gen. Recardo] Sanchez. And Kerik was supposed to be there to help train the police force. He stayed two months and one day left,” McCain told reporters on his campaign bus, faulting Giuliani for recommending Kerik. Giuliani ended his business relationship with Kerik in 2004, precisely because he was being investigated for serious crimes while police commissioner. Giulani continued his friendship with Kerik through his Nov. 8 indictment.

      Guiliani retained Atty. Marc Mukassey, the son of today's newly installed Atty. Gen. Michael Mukassey, in his campaign, specifically to prevent Kerik's defense team from uncovering evidence involving Giuliani's long business relationship with Kerik. Kerik faces an extended visit in Club Fed for bribery, conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, tax evasion and lying to the IRS. “We can't have the ethical standards that are the punch-line for Jay Leno. When Republicans act like Democrats,” said GOP presidential hopeful former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney, reminding his Party that another year of scandals won't help next year's prospects. Romney also recalls last year's endless stream of GOP scandals beginning with former House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Texas) and GOP lobbyist-turned-convicted-felon Jack Abramoff. With the first primaries less than two months away, the GOP didn't need more bad news.

      Guiliani's problems stem less from giving bad advice to President Bush about Kerik than his close professional and personal relationship to the former N.Y. Police Commissioner. Hiring Mukassey's son for the specific purpose of thwarting discovery in Kerik's legal defense starts the AG out on the wrong foot. While Mukassey promised to recuse himself in matters involving Giuliani, any involvement with Kerik would also present problems. Kerik pled not guilty to 14 felonies before U.S. Magistrate Judge George Yanthis in White Plains yet the indictment was carefully investigated by an extensive FBI investigation involving cell-phone intercepts. If convicted on all 14 counts, Kerik could be sentenced to 142 years in prison and $4.7 million in fines. While Giuliani admitted to making a mistake, he hasn't acknowledged when he first knew about Kerik's legal problems.

      Giulani has a lot of explaining to do, other than perfunctory statements about giving his good buddy the benefit of the doubt. “It is not fair to judge Rudy Giuliani on the basis of this one issue (any more) than it is to judge John McCain in the basis of the Keating [Lincoln Savings & Loan] scandal,” said former N.Y. Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro, who worked under Giuliani, diverting attention away from the real issue: Rudy was personal friends and business partners with Kerik. If Giuliani really wants to come clean, he should dismiss Marc Mukassey, currently serving as a legal firewall to his presidential campaign. He must openly admit when he first learned of Kerik's legal problems, especially Kerik's guilty plea in 2006 to unrelated ethical breaches, paying $221,000 in fines. Kerik's legal problems don't look good for Giuliani, especially knowing their history.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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