Kerik Case Continues to Influence Giuliani’s Future
December 22, 2007
(Long Island, N.Y.) Rudy Giuliani was rolling along just fine in his bid for Republican nominee. That is until the Bernard Kerik case once again returned to the spotlight. Kerik was the Republican candidate’s friend, business partner, and his police commissioner. He also promoted a construction company while working under then mayor Giuliani’s administration. There were two other individuals hired by this company who were supposedly closely linked to Giuliani as well.
Giuliani has publicly admitted to making an error in judgment in this case, but that doesn’t seem to be all there is to it. The co-chair for Giuliani’s Republican presidential campaign in New York as well as his mentor, Guy Molinari, has publicly admitted to being friendly acquaintances with the owners of Interstate Industrial Corp.
According to the records, $10,000 was paid in 2004 to the previous Staten Island congressman for working with the firm as a registered lobbyist. At this same time the firm was fighting a ban from bidding on any of the city contracts because of an accusation of being connected with the mob.
Giuliani’s former City Hall and U.S. attorney’s office top deputy Randy Mastro had legally represented Interstate. Interestingly enough, Mastro had once organized the system by which the city licensed businesses like Interstate. It’s important to state that Interstate’s owners had quite a long history of generous donations.
The issue here is that Kerik was not acting as a paid representative of the company, but Mastro and Molinari were. Once these individuals left government they worked for the company. The problem is that Kerik was still involved in government as a law-enforcement official and is alleged to have taken gifts from Interstate as well as others and not having declared them as he should. This is what the charges against him state and they have yet to be proven either way.
The case, which is still pending, is now back in the limelight after Larry Ray, once Kerik’s good friend, said he had sat by Kerik as he spoke with Giuliani about Interstate on the phone. Ray’s claims were dismissed by Giuliani as “completely false” and they believe his comments are nothing more than a continuation of his dishonesty.
The case is a little confusing with so many people involved and so much “he said, she said” going around. Nevertheless, after the federal indictment for Kerik in November for fraud and conspiracy quite a few political analysts were quick to speculate on how this would affect his bid for the Republican nomination.
It was clear things would be tough for Giuliani when even Sen. John McCain criticized him for his lack of judgment. However, Mastro was quick to reply on Giuliani’s behalf that it is not fair to judge the former mayor based on one incident.
Regardless of whether Giuliani had anything to do with this incident or not, or whether his judgment was skewed or not, really doesn’t matter. What matters is that he is in the heat of a campaign race for the Republican nod and he doesn’t need a scandal or conspiracy going on. What will come of this situation remains to be seen, but it’s certainly not helping Giuliani on the campaign trail.
Posted by News LI Editor · Edited by Brianna - Filed Under Politics
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2 Responses to “Kerik Case Continues to Influence Giuliani’s Future”
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I think the time has come for Mr. Giulani to save face. A massive headache could be effective and even do the job. People are tired of hearing his name. He and his cronies have made millions from 911, isn’t that enough for the narcissist?
Should he actually go into the recesses where he belongs, he will continue to bring more attention to himself and his evils (associates), albeit, being who they are….just like scorpions….they do what they do.
- Posted by: Cin
I am sure Ray was very disappointed when he found out about what kind of person Bernie Kerik really was in 1999 due to the secret financial relationship with Interstate. Larry Ray has always believed in patriotism, no matter what his mistakes have been. A successful businessman and experience military intelligence act, met Kerik in 1995- it has been all down hill. From 1996 Ray has voluntarily cooperated with various authoities to bring criminal activiity to light. After going public in 2004 via the NY Daily News, Ray expose the 1999 Kerik et al story, it led to Kerik not only dropping out of the Homeland secutiy position but to his admission of wrong doing with Interstate in 1999 as Ray said and now a federal indictment. Given the relationships of principals in Interstate have had with Molinari and Kerik and Guiliani’s relationship with them historically, it has got to make one wonder how Kerik could score right under his nose. Kerik shopped Ray because Ray claims Kerik found out that Ray had reported him to the FBI, actually to Kerik’s long time friend, Gary Uher (see Kerik’s book “Lost Son pg 141), who Kerik introduced Ray to in 1996 when was Ray was threatened by alleged mob members in the very case Ray was later charged in during 2000, right after reporting Kerik et al. Ray maintains he was innocence not withstanding his plea, finally after three years of fighting it, in the stock fraud case in 2003, due inability to defend himself without funds or the support of Kerik and Uher. Ray got sentenced to 9 months house arrest and probation which says something as to his invovlment in a such a major case. in any event the plea made him a convictted felon. Given the range of felons out there, Ray if really guilty was at the low end. Ray still sek exoneration.
It seems Rudy Guiliani, the seasoned prosecutor and once leader of New York City should have known more than Ray about Kerik, given the positions Kerik was entrusted with or could of reached had not Ray had much to say; imagine Bernard Kerik, the head of security for our homeland, the United States of America. One can only question the wisdom and leadership of this man who wants to be the President of the USA, given whence he came, what he knows of organized crime from family, friends and his job, what he did about it and what he almost caused to happen promoting his friend Kerik, a big mistake he says he takes responsibility for. In the end it seems this will be like the famous Chinese Tale of Three Kingdoms, where choice of friendship versus loyalty to your country, will be tested once again! A stellar NY story of friendships and treachery in high places -that is not over yet. Seamus
- Posted by: Seamus