Posted on 11/10/2007 4:00:04 AM PST by Liz
December 20, 2004
Then-Jails Boss Kerik Kept Pal Abreast of City Probe With Insider Details
E-mails sent by Bernard Kerik when he headed the city Correction Department appear to show him offering to provide inside details of the city's investigation into a mob-linked firm. The E-mails, the existence of which the Daily News revealed (Dec 19, 2004), were sent by Kerik to Lawrence Ray in 1999. Ray, who was the best man at Kerik's wedding, was then working for Interstate Industrial, a major city contractor suspected of ties to organized crime. Ray and Kerik parted ways after Ray was indicted on a conspiracy charge in 2000. Ray later pleaded guilty.
After months of requests, Ray recently allowed The News to examine the E-mails sent by Kerik, who withdrew from his nomination as secretary of homeland security on Dec. 10. The News viewed the messages in Ray's AOL folder. They were sent from an E-mail address that the paper confirmed Kerik regularly used. The messages showed no signs of having been altered. Ray says he will turn them over to the city Department of Investigation, which has opened an inquiry into Kerik.
In late 1998, Kerik recommended Ray for a job helping Interstate deal with regulators, according to sworn testimony by Frank DiTomasso, Interstate's owner. DiTomasso then hired Kerik's brother, Don, and struck up a personal friendship with Kerik. "Now, as for FD," Ray says Kerik wrote in an April 29, 1999, E-mail. Ray told The News that FD was a reference to DiTomasso.
"His father talked to Guy [Molinari] on Friday but nothing went onto his schedule. D's got to call today and make an appointment. It may be good if you go with him, just to have a little more input as to why we think that he's getting railroaded. I've explained everything to Dan Donovan, [Molinari's] chief of staff ..." Molinari, then-Staten Island borough president, had known DiTomasso's father for decades.
The same E-mail suggests that Kerik planned to pass along information from a city investigation of Interstate. Kerik says Raymond Casey, a cousin of then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani - whom Kerik incorrectly identifies as a nephew - might give him insight that would be valuable to Interstate. "Bad news, or it could be good," Kerik wrote, according to Ray. "Rudy's nephew in the Tradewaste has been appointed from Inspector General to Deputy Commissioner of Investigations. That's how he's aware of everything going on. He's overseeing all of the investigations. It's not only the internal oversight stuff, but it's every investigation. That could be bad for me for the moment, but I think overall, good for us if Harding does his job and gets aggressive."
The "Harding" appears to be a reference to Russell Harding (ED note: Harding is a pedophile later convicted of government fraud), son of then-Liberal Party boss Ray Harding, who served in a general fixer role at City Hall. Casey acknowledged last week that Kerik had approached him about Interstate.
In another passage, Kerik guides Ray on how to help Interstate deal with the Trade Waste Commission. Interstate had just hired Copstat, a security firm run by James Wood, a retired NYPD lieutenant. "Stay on top of Jimmy Wood and push the Security control issue," Ray says Kerik wrote. "His notes and records will be helpful with the TWC if need be."
The E-mail also shows Kerik's concern for his brother's role at Interstate. "Tell Frank my brother had a big blow up with some of the lower level guys at his place. ..." Ray says Kerik wrote. "He got a little nervous because he still doesn't know what he's making. Also he wants to get the benefit package started for his daughter."
The News faxed the E-mails to Kerik's attorney, Joseph Tacopina, and later called for comment. Tacopina never responded. A DOI investigator contacted Ray and his attorney last week to arrange a meeting, likely to take place this week.
Kerik was also involved in the "Giuliani-Kerik" company (re-named Giuliani Security and Safety, after the departure of the tainted ex-Police Commissioner).
From the "Giuliani Partners" website: Mr. Kerik is a Senior Vice President at "Giuliani Partners" and is "Chief Executive Officer of Giuliani-Kerik LLC, an affiliate of Giuliani Partners." (Emphasis added)
Giuliani gets busted lying to MSNBC: Giuliani said repeatedly that Kerik's role in the firm is very limited, representing "less than 5 percent" of its business. He also said that Kerik's position was largely limited to their joint venture, Giuliani-Kerik. "He's not part of Giuliani Partners," the former mayor said. But at the firm's Web site, Kerik is described as a "Senior Vice President at Giuliani Partners."
Giuliani later explained the discrepancy by saying: "Senior vice president of the group is what Bernie was when we started. I think that remains his title, but that's not the way we primarily relate to him. As you know, he does some work for a few of our clients." He added: "We should probably straighten it out and point out where his ownership interest is and primary work is done." Giuliani Partners has at least 12 partners and executives in the company. If each of them is equally responsible for a portion of their firm's business, that would come out to 8.33% each.
Kerik is not far off the pace. Assuming Giuliani isn't in "damage control" mode when he says that Kerik represented "only 5 percent" of the firm's business, it's still disingenous to calll that level of involvement "very limited", especially when his title is "senior vice president".
Assume that no emails are private.
People better wake up.
Hilary stole 900+ FBI files. She mob too. Where’s the law on her, is her cell ready at Levenworth yet ?
Hilary stole 900+ FBI files. She mob too. Where’s the law on her, is her cell ready at Levenworth yet ?
Duncan Hunter would be a much better nominee.
But isn’t this the way ALL business is done in Noo York Siddy?
People there lie and cheat even when being honest could serve them SO much better. It is just ingrained in their philosophy.
(Spoken like a true denizen of “fly-over” country.)
Kerik was police commissioner for only 1.3 years out of Giuliani’s 8.0 in office (16%). I am not a Rudy supporter by any means, but it is a little unfair to brand him with Kerik’s (alleged) sins.
Oh, yes. You are SO gonna want to see this. ;)
bump
bump
It doesn’t matter if you delete your emails. A copy remains on the mail server. I believe by law businesses and the gov are required to archive email for a period of time. So your personal computer email records are irrelevant.
Dinosaur Media be damned. We have the NEW media now, and they're already all over this and THEN some:
Before he appointed Kerik police commissioner, Kerik was Giuliani's driver and bodyguard.
After R/G left office, Kerik was Giuliani's business partner.
.......as to Kerik's filthy links to organized crime, "Me-First Giuliani" defended the tainted Kerik----kerik is Giuliani's former driver, bodyguard and business partner.
Giuliani connived to foist Kerik on the Nation as Homeland/Sec/Secy b/c Kerik would have wholesale access to FBI files.
Kerik's surveillance of FBI files---then turning over useful info to Giuliani---would materially advance Power-Mad Giuliani's political ambitions.
"Me-First Giuliani" also connived to shield himself from the fact that he had knowledge of, but ignored, Kerik’s filthiness. "I was not informed of it,” "Save-My-Rear Giuliani" lied when asked if he had been warned about mobbed-up Kerik when he appointed Kerik to the top NYC police post in 2000.
But "Security Expert Giuliani" had tripped up royally trying to save himself, and was forced to amend the statement last year in testimony to a state grand jury.
"Forgetful Giuliani" the security expert said that neither he nor any of his aides could recall being briefed about Kerik’s mob involvements.
"Me-First Giuliani" was forced to acknowledge that the city investigations commissioner, Edward J. Kuriansky, had told him that Kerik was mob-connected at least once.
But a review of Mr. Kuriansky’s diaries, and investigators’ notes from a 2004 interview with Giuliani indicate that such a session indeed took place.
Even more significant:
According to Kuriansky’s diaries compiled at the time (plus Kuriansky's later recollection to investigators), Kuriansky recalled briefing Giuliani’s closest aides about Kerik’s dirty entanglements just days before Giuliani promoted his chauffeur, Kerik, (the man who knows where all of Giuliani's bodies are buried) to be the city's top cop.
Kuriansky is conveniently deceased, but he thankfully left his own diaries AND detailed testimony he himself recorded for investigators.
If you’re running a “Stop Rudy”-type PING list: I’d very much like to be added to it, please. ;)
The slick-talk and demeanor of a practiced conman.
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