Posted on 12/14/2004 8:33:50 AM PST by immigrationreformactivist
First there was "The Lost Son." Now comes the lost wife. Investigators conducting a background check of Bernard Kerik last week as part of his confirmation hearing uncovered that the then-Secretary of Homeland Security nominee was married to a woman he has apparently kept a secret for the past 20 years. Friends of his said they were not aware of the woman, and Kerik did not acknowledge the marriage in his best-selling autobiography, "The Lost Son: A Life in Pursuit of Justice." Instead, he wrote about only two marriages, one to a New Jersey woman named Jacqueline, whom he married in 1983 when he was 28, and one to his current wife, Hala, whom he married in 1998. But Kerik, who withdrew his name for consideration for the nation's top security post on Friday, was also married to the former Linda Hales in North Carolina. Kerik and Hales, who has since remarried and changed her name to Priest, were married Aug. 10, 1978, when she was 27 and he was three weeks shy of 24, according to her lawyer, Ronnie Mitchell. They separated in 1982 and were officially divorced June 6, 1983, Mitchell told Newsday. In Kerik's book, however, he wrote that he married Jacqueline in the winter of 1983, raising questions about whether his first and second marriages overlapped.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
What a screwup! What happened to the WH and the FBI investigative groups? Did the politicos just rely on Rudy Giuliani's word? Makes a person wonder if a bunch of daisies are occupying the catbird seat when it comes to background investigative techniques.
I never heard of this guy till he was announced the nominee.
But, one of the first things I read about him was that he was a bodyguard for Saudi Royals.
That in and of itself made me not like him.
This could be the usual parents' blessing that most Americans look for, but it could also be an agreement by Kerik to embrace Islam. Most Muslim families will not approve of a marriage unless the spouse is Muslim.
I'm not saying that Kerik is a devout Muslim or anything, but that he went through the Muslim motions to get married.
See my post 5.
Let it go. Think Garry Hartpence. Or John F'n Kerry for that matter.
This did not, of course, keep Sukarno from kicking him out of the country along with all the other Dutch Indonesians.
Although he's passed on, last time I looked he was still a Methodist and his wife was simply glad to get out of a Moslem country.
Scary.
One (of the many things) I don't like about Bush is inclination to be afraid to offend Mohammedans or their establishment.
Bill Clinton's putative father, William Jefferson Blythe III, did not wait to get a divorce from his previous wife before "marrying" Clinton's mother. Kerik sounds like a natural Democrat.
I thought Kerik was a 'Rat.
Wow! Thanks reason enough not to consider this guy. I liked what I knew of him until his private life started to emerge. What was he thinking? This man sounds like a security risk to me. I don't care how wonderful a job he was done, and I understand he really has. Anyone with a Muslim spouse should not be serving in this type of position.
I saw the name and wondered. starting to be glad he's out instead of disappointed.
He was eminently blackmailable, and would still be if he had been appointed without a whisper.
Simple. Because he wanted it more than anything. He was thinking with his **** rather than his brain (perhaps not the first time he's done so).
So what? It's not like he got in and then self scandalized. Maybe if he says "Sorry," and, "It's personal and all about sex," and, "I can compartmentalize." then it will all go away.
His Muslim connection alone should have raised red flags. He is beginning to sound like a sleeper agent except he just doesn't appear to be smart enough. Incredibly stupid to have become involved in this much sleazy activities and not expect it to surface.
why?
Kerik is an equal opportunity disaster:
July 28, 2004
The Open University of Israel Honors Bernard Kerik
Dear Friend of the Open University:
An all-star cast headlines a gala evening for the Open University.
I am delighted to announce that:
Bernard Kerik – Dinner Honoree – who will receive the Shomer Award
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Baron Robert de Rothschild – Honorary Chairs
Ingeborg Rennert – Chair, Dinner Committee
Steve Witkoff – Chair, Tribute Committee will lead off this year’s American Friends of the Open University dinner, November 30th at Cipriani’s in New York City.
Never has an institution been more aptly named – the Open University of Israel is the most open, diverse and accessible university in Israel. Enrollment this year is 38,700 students – having doubled since 1994! One in every five Israeli undergrads studies at the Open University.
I know you will want to join me in paying tribute to Mr. Kerik, one of the Open University’s staunchest supporters.
Recently, Bernard Kerik served on the U.S. Presidential Envoy in Iraq. He spent six months in Baghdad, arriving there just days after the coalition invasion, in charge of rebuilding Iraq’s internal security infrastructure.
Our annual gala is the cornerstone of our annual fundraising campaign.
We would be honored if you would become a member of the Tribute Committee, either by reserving a table, or by inscribing your name in our Journal at the Donor level. As a member of the Tribute Committee, you will be listed along with Mayor Giuliani and Robert de Rothschild on our dinner invitation and on promotional materials for this event.
Our mission is to enable every Israeli to fulfill the dream of a college education – and to strengthen the Jewish nation. Please join us in this effort.
Sincerely,
Irwin Hochberg,
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.