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Giuliani Employee Investigated in Pirro-Gate

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Fri Sep 29, 2006 at 04:53:22 AM EST
Tags: Rudy Giuliani, Bernard Kerik, Jeanine Pirro (all tags)
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Rudy Giuliani's friends may be his undoing. First, Bernie Kerik, the subject of a federal wiretap investigation who has already pleaded guilty to a minor charge. Then Bernie surfaces in the Jeanine Pirro bugging investigation, and now, according to the New York Times:

The politics of the Pirro investigation, which was disclosed on Wednesday, seemed more tangled yesterday. Two lawyers with knowledge of the inquiry said that subpoenas had been issued to one current and one former employee of Giuliani Security and Safety, a division of the consulting firm founded by former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani.

A third man, who works at the company, has been interviewed by F.B.I. agents as part of the inquiry, the lawyers said. All three men were very close to Bernard B. Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner, whom Ms. Pirro consulted in the summer of 2005 about secretly taping her husband, Albert. In the conversations, which were recorded by authorities and detailed in reports on WNBC-TV, Mr. Kerik indicated at one point that he had asked a contact at Mr. Giuliani's firm to find him a recording device.

Mr. Giuliani, who appointed Mr. Kerik police commissioner and has been close to him, is in the midst of deliberations about whether to run for president in 2008.

Naturally, Rudy dumps on Jeanine:

On Wednesday, shortly after the Pirro investigation became public, Mr. Giuliani abruptly canceled a fund-raiser for her campaign that he was to headline next month.

Rudy, it's not that we hardly knew you, it's that we know you too well. Give it up for 2008. You don't have a prayer.

[Extensive post on Pirro-Gate here.]

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    Giuliani Employee Investigated in Pirro-Gate | 10 comments (10 topical)
    Re: Giuliani Employee Investigated in Pirro-Gate (none / 0) (#5)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Sep 29, 2006 at 07:08:11 AM EST
    Looks like Rudy is in a lose-lose situation. If he does the fund raiser and there is some fire in the smoke of what appears to a politically motivated attack, he'll get smeared. And if not he'll get smeared for the cancellation. My guess is that Pirro will understand and ignore it. BTW - Given that having a recording device is not illegal, what was the purpose of this?
    Mr. Kerik indicated at one point that he had asked a contact at Mr. Giuliani's firm to find him a recording device.
    Is the claim that someone at the firm was conspiring to break the law?

    Re: Giuliani Employee Investigated in Pirro-Gate (none / 0) (#3)
    by scribe on Fri Sep 29, 2006 at 09:31:05 AM EST
    Let's be fair about this - Giuliani never had much of a chance anyway. The evangelicals don't or wouldn't trust him, and he's from outside the circle of the Bush family, friends, retainers and lackeys. He's not one of them, never would be, and therefore any prospects of his nomination and election were so much blowing smoke. Like McCain's, too. He gets punked by Bush and Rove every time, and keeps coming back for more. Now, on to the "good" stuff. Today's Daily News both provides more detail on the story and splashes the alleged "other woman" across the front page. In a picture with Mrs. Pirro. She's the wife of Mr. Pirro's criminal defense lawyer. The couples are apparently longtime friends and live only a few doors apart (good to keep the defense lawyer close...), but the alleged other woman is about 20 years younger. Mrs. Pirro is ranting about this being a "witch hunt" and making all sorts of demands. What, IMHO, she does not understand is that this likely is a politically motivated debacle, but the motivation is not so much to get her, as to create a nice shiny thing for people to focus on while Iraq continues to descend into hell and the Constitution gets trashed. This is all Republicans, from Abu Gonzo on down, and ordinarily they would have an interest in getting her, a Repug, elected. Torching her makes a nice, diverting spectacle. Her not getting that, makes clear (like any more proof was needed) she doesn't qualify for any elective office.

    Re: Giuliani Employee Investigated in Pirro-Gate (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 29, 2006 at 09:31:05 AM EST
    Giuliani needs to look up the definition of loyalty; has Jeanine been indicted of anything. Jeanine should have dumped her husband a long time ago. He may be a good father in her opinion, but he certainly embarrasses his children and her with all the bad press he brings their way...so how good of a father could he be. The whole thing smells of the Cuomo family...rotten to the core. Jeanine might not be a saint, but Andrew Cuomo as AG for NY would be a disaster.

    Re: Giuliani Employee Investigated in Pirro-Gate (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 29, 2006 at 09:55:31 AM EST
    "Pirro-gate" ? Was a crime committed here by Pirro?

    Re: Giuliani Employee Investigated in Pirro-Gate (none / 0) (#2)
    by kdog on Fri Sep 29, 2006 at 09:55:31 AM EST
    "Mr. Law and Order" Rudy G. is looking for and more like the head of a crime family.

    Re: Giuliani Employee Investigated in Pirro-Gate (none / 0) (#6)
    by kdog on Fri Sep 29, 2006 at 09:55:31 AM EST
    Given that having a recording device is not illegal, what was the purpose of this?
    Recording someone without their consent is illegal. Even if she didn't go through with it, she conspired to do it. If she'd consider illegally spying on her husband, would she hesitate to illegally spy on an average citizen? Such a person has no place being Attorney General...IMO.

    Re: Giuliani Employee Investigated in Pirro-Gate (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 29, 2006 at 09:56:30 AM EST
    We don't know if there is a crime committed here -- but there is a federal investigation to determine whether laws were broken. That's what makes it a "gate."

    Re: Giuliani Employee Investigated in Pirro-Gate (none / 0) (#8)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Sep 29, 2006 at 10:38:57 AM EST
    kdog - I think it depends upon the state. But even so, the recording device is not illegal, and neither is asking about one. And did she conspire? I don't know, and neither do you. We're talking husband and wife anger here, so what you have is more likely white heat anger and threats. BTW - Strange I don't hear anyone condemning the Feds listening in on one thing and then turning it into something else... Oh I forgot. She's a Repub.

    Re: Giuliani Employee Investigated in Pirro-Gate (none / 0) (#10)
    by Sailor on Fri Sep 29, 2006 at 03:41:33 PM EST
    The whole thing smells of the Cuomo family...rotten to the core.
    A fed investifation of bush's pals regarding wiretapping, mafia links and corruption ... yeah, right, Cuomo made them do it.
    Strange I don't hear anyone condemning the Feds listening in on one thing and then turning it into something else
    Most all the 'lefties' here, including our host, have condemned fed wiretapping over and over, especially between lawyers and clients, which the quoted commenter endorsed. He just can't take it if there are rethugs involved.

    Re: Giuliani Employee Investigated in Pirro-Gate (none / 0) (#9)
    by kdog on Fri Sep 29, 2006 at 04:19:42 PM EST
    I don't think she'll be charged with anything Jim...and rightly so if she didn't go through with it. I just couldn't vote for someone for the highest law enforcement position in my state who would even think about using her political clout to secure an illegal wiretap or bug. We don't need any more Hoovers. And I assume the tap on Kerik was warranted by a judge due to the investigation into his organized crime ties. If Kerik was illegally tapped I'd be the first to condemn it.

    Giuliani Employee Investigated in Pirro-Gate | 10 comments (10 topical)