Posted on 12/09/2007 4:54:36 PM PST by wagglebee
WASHINGTON -- Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Sunday defended the expenses incurred by his security detail as he was beginning an extramarital affair with current wife Judith Nathan, saying police made the decision after she received threats.
Giuliani in recent weeks has faced a barrage of questions about New York police security costs for his trysts with Nathan and about his business clients, which have included the Persian Gulf country of Qatar. Although a U.S. ally, Qatar is accused of sheltering suspected Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
Smiling broadly and laughing at some of the tougher questions put to him on NBC's "Meet the Press," Giuliani did not directly answer when asked why the security expenses were billed to obscure city offices, making their detection more difficult. He responded that the NYPD had deemed the security detail necessary because of threats against him and his loved ones, including Nathan.
"This was all based on threat assessments by the New York city police department, all based on their analysis to protect her life, my life, other people's lives," Giuliani said. "They made the choice. My wife Judith would honestly prefer not to have security."
Records first reported by Politico.com last month showed repeated trips between 1999 and 2002 to Long Island, where Nathan had a condominium. Giuliani's first trip was from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1, 1999 _ months before he acknowledged the breakdown of his second marriage in the spring of 2000.
Security costs for those trips were charged to agencies like the New York City Loft Board, which regulates loft apartments and was billed $34,000. The Office for People with Disabilities was charged $10,000, while the Assigned Counsel Administrative Office, which provides lawyers for indigent defendants, was charged roughly $400,000.
Asked whether it would be appropriate for a president to provide taxpayer-funded security for a mistress, Giuliani said it would not. But he said "that isn't the right way to analyze it" in his case.
"The reality is it all came about because of my public position," Giuliani said. "The New York city police department has rules, they apply the rules. They apply it exactly the same way as they always apply it."
"I did not make the judgment. I didn't ask for it. Judith didn't particularly want it," he said. "It was done because they took the view that it was serious and that it had to be done this way."
The decision to do a lengthy, nationally televised interview marked a shift in strategy for Giuliani, similar to those by GOP rival Mitt Romney and Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton as the campaign for president has tightened in both parties. After resisting for months, Romney, a Mormon, relented and gave a speech about his religious faith while Clinton sharpened her criticism of Barack Obama, her closest rival.
Regarding his post-mayoral business dealings, Giuliani has refused to outline his role or identify clients of his firm, Giuliani Partners. In an interview last month with The Associated Press, he said the media have vetted most of his clients but that he can't name them because of confidentiality agreements.
Giuliani had income of $4.1 million from his share in Giuliani Partners and $1.2 million from his law firm between January 2006 and February 2007, according to financial disclosure forms he filed in May.
On Sunday, Giuliani did not deny he was still receiving money from Giuliani Partners, but said he was not involved in the company's day-to-day operations and that he has "severed every tie I can think of."
Releasing a client list was unnecessary, Giuliani said, because "every client of GP of any significance while I was there, while I was involved in the day-to-day operations has been discussed" in the media or other public forums.
"The reality is none of them amount to anything other than ethical, lawful, decent work," he said. "None of them involve any conflict of any kind."
Giuliani also acknowledged errors by not screening former protege Bernard Kerik closely enough before making him city police commissioner in 2000. Kerik, whom Giuliani later recommended unsuccessfully to head the federal Department of Homeland Security, was indicted last month on counts including accusations of lying to the White House and filing false income tax returns. Kerik has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
"I think my judgment on appointments turns out almost always to be very good with unfortunately some mistakes that I have made," Giuliani said. "This is one of them, and I'm really sorry for it and I have learned from it."
Rooty's sounding more and more like the Clintons every day.
Stop Rudy Ping
Does Huma have a detail? If so, then Rudy has leverage.
Thanks for the ping. I urge every FReeper to read this (or catch MTP reruns on MSNBC).
Meet The Press transcript. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22170668/
Russert reamed Giuliani pretty good.
Russert was visibly disgusted w/ Rooty’s moronic laughing and giggling over every serious question. Russert even reprimanded RG: “hey, these are serious questions.”
Russert hit RG with Kerik, security for Jooty, and scummy business dealings-—real hardball questions.
Cannot fathom even a braindead liberal countenancing RG’s crackpot answers to Russert——so convoluted as to be incomprehensible.
When Giuliani tells Russert he’s gonna win primaries ourside of Iowa and NH-—better believe Rooty and his neopuke handlers will employ massive voter fraud.....and God knows what else.
No one in their right mind would vote for this nitwit.
On the plus side at least it was for a mistress and not a mister.
As FREEPER SUSSA cogently analyzed: Rudy gave his bimbo security of her own.....NYPD drove her around, and walked her dog, when he wasn’t around. She even loaned her security detail out to taxi her friends on shopping trips when she wasn’t with them.
These are crimes. They are also taxable events. Hopefully, the IRS and the NY State taxing authority will investigate this. There may also be federal public corruption charges the U.S. Justice Dept. can bring against Rudy. Hopefully, the U.S. Attorney for Southern New York will launch an investigation.
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I would add: It's not the security detail's expenses per se that are at issue here; it's the EXTRANEOUS police expenses Rooty incurred AND the coverup. The bimbo's security expenses were calculatedly hid in obscure agencies to keep the costs secret.....that in itself is an admission of guilt.
If Rudy had simply stayed home with his wife and kids acting like the paradigm family man he conned the public into believing he was, HE WOULD NEVER HAVE INCURRED EXTRA EXPENSES for gas, hotels/meals per diems, and occasional airline bills.
Rooty assigned seven NYPD officers and government cars at Jooty's beck and call 24/7............all of it IN EXCESS of what the married Mayor was already alotted for security for himself, and his immediate family.
The “character doesn’t matter” wing of the party will vote for him. Hopefully, they are a small portion of the vote.
Rudy is locked in with the Clinton’s and their machine. Organized crime, the Saudi’s and the list goes on. If he gets elected President we will be in as much trouble as if Hillary got elected. Are we becoming a nation of fools?
That scandal will be next
My sense is...
gay-agenda-supporting, cross-dressing ghouliani, is the next northeastern-corridor, big-blue-city, pole-smoking "mcgreevy".
ANY "republican" or "conservative" who supports or votes for this LIBERAL RINO bastard is a pretender themselves, or...
an out-and-out FOOL.
You mean threats like, "If I ever find out who the damned hussy is, I'll scratch the miserable b***h's eyes out, and snatch her bald!"?
Have to wonder if Rooty 'suggested' to police officials that they let subordinates know what the "right decision" should be.
>>>Giuliani in recent weeks has faced a barrage of questions about New York police security costs for his trysts with Nathan and about his business clients, which have included the Persian Gulf country of Qatar. Although a U.S. ally, Qatar is accused of sheltering suspected Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
Khalid’s nephew, Ramzi Yousef, is the one that bombed the WTC in ‘93. Ramzi had a safe house in Brooklyn that he used.
Khalid is also the one that had Daniel Pearl killed. Last story Pearl was working on was the Diamond underground trade ring.
Ironic that Giuliani has a partnership in the Diamonds Trade.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1933097/posts
Giuliani’s Profitable Partnership
bump
I am so tired of seeing this guy being shoved down the Republican Party's throat!
![[Image]](http://eyeball-series.org/kerik/pict45.jpg)
The emir of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, left, shakes hands with New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, center, as New York Police Commisioner Bernard Kerik, right, looks on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2001, at World Trade Center disaster command center in New York. His Highness made a donation of $1 million to the Twin Towers fund and $1 million to the Widows and Childrens fund for the New York FIre Department.
Rudy...just leave the race!
But the security details see nearly all of what goes on behind the scenes. Often even the protectees do not know that added expense they cause when they ask for special favors; "My wife needs a ride to the airport", "My nephew is looking for a store that sells ....." Far too often, the officers providing the protection feel like they are nothing more than chauffeurs and personal assistants.
Although these are requests that should be coordinated with staff members, when uttered during transportation with the protection detail, they become requests that must be dealt with. Somewhere in the system, the VIP must be rebuffed that their requests are unreasonable
Our understood orders were to comply, and then report back through channels. I can easily project that what happened in NYC began with a simple, though inappropriate, activity and then snowballed out of control. With individuals like Kerik at Rudy's beckon and call. it is likely that No One pushed back
For me, the bottom line is that Rudy is no fool, and he must have winked at what he knew was a lot of money being spent for his personal convenience. Abuse of privilege is not a good indicator of future potential.
Thanks for the realtime input.
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