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Bernard Kerik

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Bernard Bailey "Bernie" Kerik, CBE, (born September 4, 1955 in Newark, New Jersey) is a former American law-enforcement officer. Kerik was Police Commissioner of the City of New York from 2000 to 2001, under Mayor Rudy Giuliani. In December 2004, George W. Bush nominated Kerik as Secretary of Homeland Security. A week later, Kerik withdrew his nomination, explaining that he had employed an illegal immigrant as a nanny; subsequently, numerous allegations surfaced which would likely have led to a confirmation battle. In 2006, Kerik pled guilty to two unrelated ethics violations after an investigation by the Bronx District Attorney's Office, and was ordered to pay $221,000. He is currently under Federal investigation: A grand jury issued a multi-count indictment on November 8, 2007 alleging conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud and lying to the IRS. Kerik surrendered to authorities on Friday, November 9, 2007, was arraigned before Magistrate Judge George Yanthis in White Plains, New York Federal Court, and pled not guilty to all 16 charges.[1][2][3]

Personal

The son of Donald Raymond Kerik, Sr. and Patricia Joann Bailey, Kerik was raised in Paterson, New Jersey. In 2001, Kerik published a memoir, The Lost Son: A Life in Pursuit of Justice, in which he described how he came from a broken home. In the book, he said his parents divorced when he was 3 and his mother, an alcoholic and prostitute, was murdered by her pimp[4] when he was 9.

Kerik attended Eastside High School,[5] but dropped out to enlist in the army.[6] He later received a General Equivalency Diploma. After leaving the New York City Police Department, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from Empire State College of the State University of New York in 2002.[7]

Kerik is a former Military Police Officer (MP), a former bodyguard, a former jail warden and a former undercover narcotics detective, he is also a 5th degree black belt master instructor in the martial arts, who holds black belts in both Japanese Karate and Korean tae kwon do.

Kerik was the keynote speaker at the commencement of Michigan State University on December 6, 2003. His speech was centered around his support for the War on Terrorism and his experiences in the Criminal Justice System.

Kerik declared bankruptcy in October 1987.[8]

Marriages and children

Kerik has a South Korean daughter. While serving on the peninsula as a 19-year-old military policeman in December 1974, Kerik had daughter Yi Sa Lisa Marie Jordan (born October 25, 1975) with a woman identified as Sun-ja. Kerik was removed by the millitary command and was forced to leave behind both when he left the country in February 1976. In his 2001 autobiography, Kerik called the decision “a mistake I will always regret, and I pray to God that one day I can make it right”.[9][10]

Kerik has been married three times but he concealed his first marriage.[11]

On August 10, 1978 Linda Hales and Kerik married; she was 27 and he was 3 weeks shy of 24. They separated in 1982 and were officially divorced June 6, 1983.[12] Linda—now remarried and known as Linda H Priest—is the current Clerk of Superior Court in Fayetteville, NC. Kerik's own close friends knew nothing of the marriage, and it was never mentioned in his best-selling autobiography.

Kerik's second marriage—which he claimed in his book to be his first marriage—to Jacqueline Llerena of New Jersey was from September 3, 1983 to July 1992. Together they have son Joseph Michael(June 11, 1985). In December 2004 Joseph was in training at the Passaic County Police Academy.[13]

Kerik met Syrian-born Hala Matli (born February 3, 1972) in 1996. She was his dental hygentist. On November 1, 1998 they married, and they have daughters Celine Christina (born March 3, 2000) and Angelina Amber (October 30, 2002). Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former Mayor of New York City is their godfather.[14]

Despite his marriage, Kerik had 2 extramarital affairs, even while Hala was pregnant. Kerik had a ten year affair with Jeannette Pinero a married NYC Dept. Of Corrections officer.[15] He also had a year long affair with Judith Regan, who published his "sensational memoir". Kerik reportedly used an apartment that had been donated to the city for use by emergency workers at ground zero, but which Kerik kept for himself.[16]

He presently lives in a $1.2 million home in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.[17]

Military and police experience

Kerik enlisted in the U.S. Army in July, 1974 and became a Military policeman (MP) assigned to Korea as an MP Sentry Dog Handler and to the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina assuming Military Police duties and teaching hand to hand combat to Special Operations and Special Forces Personnel at the John F. Kennedy Unconventional Warfare Center. In 1977, he received an honorable discharge from the Army whereby he became a member of the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office (NC.)In April, 1978, he was employed by the Morrison Knudson Saudi Arabia Consortium (MKSAC) as a Security Officer on the King Khalid Military City in Hafar Al-Batin, Saudi Arabia for nearly two and a half years.

Kerik worked from 1982 to 1984 as chief of investigations for the security office at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, one of the kingdom's premier hospitals, where members of the royal family are treated. Six members of the hospital security staff, including Kerik, were fired and deported after an investigation in 1984 by the Saudi secret police.[18]

Kerik served as Warden of the Passaic County jail, the largest county adult correctional facility in New Jersey, from January to July 1986. There, he also served as the Department's Training Officer and Commander of the Special Weapons and Operations units, and received the Medal of Honor from the City of Paterson and a Presidential Commendation from President Ronald Reagan, both for heroism.[citation needed]

Kerik served with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) from July 1986 to May 1994, in both uniformed and plain clothes duty. While assigned to the US Justice Department's New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, he was one of two case agents responsible for overseeing one of the most substantial narcotic investigations in the history of the department, resulting in the conviction of more than sixty members of the Cali Cartel. He earned thirty medals for meritorious and heroic service, including the department's Medal for Valor for his involvement in a gun battle in which his partner was shot and wounded. [citation needed] In December 1997, he was appointed by the Mayor to the New York City Gambling Control Commission. Kerik also chaired the Michael Buczek Foundation's annual fund-raiser that honors law enforcement across the nation.

Commissioner of NYC Department of Correction

Kerik served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction, a position to which he was appointed on January 1, 1998.[citation needed] He previously served for three years as the Department of Correction's First Deputy Commissioner and, prior to that, as the agency's Executive Assistant to the Commissioner and Director of the Investigations Division.

New York City Police Commissioner

Kerik was appointed the 40th New York City Police Commissioner by Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani on August 21, 2000. He left office at the end of Giuliani's term on December 31, 2001. More than half of mayor Giuliani's cabinet opposed Kerik's appointment. Kerik's lack of a college degree was among the cabinet's major concerns.[19] Possession of a college degree was a requirement established in 1985 by then-Commissioner Benjamin Ward for anyone promoted above the rank of Captain. There have been questions raised regarding the fact that the City of New York's Department of Investigations bypassed the normal vetting process in appointing Kerik police commissioner. The accusation among others were that his chief qualification appeared to be that he had served as Giuliani’s driver and bodyguard.[20][21] As the leader of the largest municipal police department in the United States, Commissioner Kerik oversaw a uniformed force of more than 41,000 officers, a civilian force of more than 14,500 which included the 3,500 member School Safety Division, 2,000-member Traffic Control Division, and 3500 member Auxiliary Police Division, and an annual budget of more than $3.2 billion. Kerik was serving as Police Commissioner during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and oversaw the law-enforcement response.

After the attacks, Kerik took control of an apartment donated for the recovery efforts at Ground Zero, using it as a "love nest" to meet with his girl friends, including Judith Regan, the publisher of The Lost Son.[22]

On February 13, 2002, Kerik was appointed an honorary Commander of Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II.

Interim Minister of Interior of Iraq

In May 2003, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Kerik was appointed by the George W. Bush Administration as the Interim Minister of Interior of Iraq and Senior Policy Advisor to the U.S. Presidential Envoy to Iraq, L. Paul Bremer. He was responsible for reconstituting the Iraqi Ministry of Interior which had dissolved into the community during the U.S. led coalition's invasion of Iraq. The Iraq Interior consisted of the National Police, Intelligence Service and Border and Customs Police. In Rajiv Chandrasekaran's book on Iraq, Imperial Life in the Emerald City, Kerik was said to be arrogant, incompetent, and undedicated in his position.

Kerik was also criticized by George Packer in his book, Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq.[23]:

"He [Army Lt. Colonel in charge of Kirkuk reconstruction] was afraid that the new Kirkuk police force, which the battalion he commanded had already set up, would have to be scrapped when Bernard Kerik - the colorful former New York police chief - finally got around to announcing his national plan. Instead, Kerik spent his time in Baghdad going on raids with South African mercenaries while his house in New Jersey underwent renovation. He went home after just three months, leaving almost nothing behind, while the Lt. Colonel spent almost a year in Kirkuk."

Consulting work

Following his departure from the New York City Police Department, he was employed by Giuliani Partners, a consulting firm formed by the former Mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani. He served as a Senior Vice President at Giuliani Partners and as Chief Executive Officer of Giuliani-Kerik LLC, an affiliate of Giuliani Partners. Kerik resigned from these positions in December, 2004. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Kerik served from May to September 2003 as Iraq’s interim Minister of Interior where he oversaw the re-constitution and reconstruction of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, including the national police service and border enforcement units. Kerik is currently the Chairman & CEO of The Kerik Group LLC, a New York City based consulting firm specializing in Homeland Security, Counter-Terrorism and Law Enforcement and Jail/Prison Management services.

Nomination as Secretary of Homeland Security

On December 3, 2004, Kerik was nominated by President Bush to succeed Tom Ridge as United States Secretary of Homeland Security. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales vetted Kerik during that nomination period.[24] But on December 10, after a week of press scrutiny, Kerik withdrew acceptance of the nomination. Kerik stated that he had unknowingly hired an undocumented worker as a nanny and housekeeper who had used someone else's social security number. Similar violations of immigration law had previously caused the withdrawal of the nominations of Linda Chavez as Secretary of Labor by George W. Bush and of Zoe Baird as Attorney General by Bill Clinton.

Shortly after withdrawal of the nomination, the press reported on several other incidents which might also have posed difficulties in gaining confirmation by the Senate. These include: questions regarding Kerik's sale of stock in Taser International shortly before the release of an Amnesty International report critical of the company's stun-gun product; a sexual harassment lawsuit; an affair with Judith Regan; allegations of misuse of police personnel and property for personal benefit; connections with a construction company suspected of having ties to organized crime; and failure to comply with ethics rules on gifts.[25]

Investigation results

On June 30, 2006, after an eighteen month investigation conducted by the Bronx District Attorney's Office, Kerik plead guilty to two ethics violations (unclassified misdemeanors) and was ordered to pay $221,000 in fines at the 10-minute hearing.

Kerik acknowledged that he failed to document a personal loan on his annual New York City Conflict of Interest Report (a violation of the New York City Administrative Code) and accepting a gift from a New Jersey construction firm attempting to do business with the city, (a violation of the New York City Charter). During the court hearing, the Assistant Bronx District Attorney stated that "although some may draw inferences from this plea, there is no direct evidence of an agreement between Kerik and the New Jersey construction firm". Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg immediately removed Kerik's name from the Manhattan Detention Complex, a New York jail that had been renamed in Kerik's honor on December 21, 2001 by Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani.[26]

Subsequently, on July 20, 2006, the two New Jersey contractors were indicted on perjury charges, accused of lying to the Bronx grand jury in the Kerik investigation.[27]

On March 31, 2007, The Associated Press reported that Kerik rejected a plea bargain agreement with federal prosecutors who are investigating allegations of tax evasion for failing to declare the gifts that he received from the New Jersey contractors. Kerik is also under investigation for conspiracy to eavesdrop on the conversations of the husband of Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro (Republican), Albert Pirro, whom Ms. Pirro suspected of having an affair.[28] Kerik will be indicted on charges of bribery, tax evasion, obstruction of justice, providing false information and conspiracy to eavesdrop. He agreed to surrender on November 9, 2007 to federal authorities.[29]

Federal indictment

On November 8th, 2007, in White Plains, New York, Bernard Kerik was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy, tax fraud and making false statements. Prosecutors say Kerik received about $255,000 in renovations to his Riverdale, New York, apartment from a company seeking to do business with the city of New York and concealed the income from the Internal Revenue Service. The indictment also charges Kerik made several false statements to the White House (in his background information statement regarding his Department of Homeland Security appointment) and other federal officials. If convicted on all 16 counts in the indictment, Kerik could face a maximum sentence of 142 years in prison and $4.7 million in fines. He was released upon payment of a $500,000 bond.[30][31]

Witnesses involved

Giuliani aides will be called to testify as witnesses in the case. They include:

  • Raymond Casey, former head of the Trade Waste Commission (and cousin of Giuliani)[32][33]
  • Michael Caruso, former inspector general with the city Department of Inspection

A meeting in Tribeca, at Walker's Bar, in July 1999, between Kerik, Casey and Caruso, dealt with Casey's investigation of Interstate Industrial Corporation. Interstate employed the best man at Kerik's wedding, as well as Kerik's brother, Donald. Casey was inquiring into allegations that Interstate had connections with the Gambino Crime Family. Kerik has admitted that Interstate secretly paid to renovate Kerik's apartment.[34]

The new U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey has a close relationship with former mayor Rudy Giuliani, as confirmed by a presidential spokesperson.[35] Mukasey and Giuliani have been friends since working at the same law firm in the early 1970s.[36] Mukasey has pledged to recuse himself from cases involving Giuliani. However, neither presidential spokespersons nor Mukasey would return reporters' inquiries into whether Mukasey would recuse himself from the Kerik case.[37][38]

Michael Mukasey's son, Marc Mukasey, has been assigned by Rudy Giuliani's campaign to block Kerik's legal defense team from interviewing witnesses that might assist his defense.[39] (When Giuliani joined the Bracewell firm, effecting the company's change to "Bracewell & Giuliani," he brought Marc Mukasey into the firm.[40]

See also

Preceded by Warden of the Passaic County, New Jersey Jail
1986 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
?
 Executive Assistant to the Commissioner and Director of the Investigations Division, New York City Department of Correction
1994–1995 		Succeeded by
Preceded by First Deputy Commissioner, New York City Department of Correction
1995–1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commissioner, New York City Department of Correction
1998–2000 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NYPD Commissioner
2000–2001 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Interim Minister of Interior of Iraq
2003 		Succeeded by

References

  1. ^ "Ex-NY police chief denies charges". BBC News. 2007-11-10. Retrieved 2007-11-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Fitzgerald, Jim (2007-11-09). "Ex-NYC Top Cop Kerik Pleads Not Guilty". Associated Press via ABC News. Retrieved 2007-11-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Indictment of Bernie Kerik" (JPG). 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2007-11-10.
  4. ^ "Bernard B. Kerik News - The New York Times". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  5. ^ "N.J. native to lead Homeland Security", The Record (Bergen County), December 3, 2004. Accessed December 21, 2007. "Kerik, 49, was born in Newark and grew up in Paterson, where he attended Eastside High School."
  6. ^ {http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4065105.stm Profile: Bernard Kerik], BBC News, November 9, 2007. Accessed December 21, 2007. "Mr Kerik dropped out of high school to join the army, where he became a military policeman stationed in South Korea."
  7. ^ "A Street Cop's Rise From High School Dropout to Cabinet Nominee - New York Times". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  8. ^ "Millionaire Kerik A Former Deadbeat - The Smoking Gun". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  9. ^ BrothersJudd Blog: TOUGH WAY TO GET A SECOND CHANCE:
  10. ^ http://www.politicalforecast.net/2004/12/05/kerik-has-great-family-values/ Kerik admits he abandoned his south korean gf and daughter. From his daughter, he has two grandchildren, Jaden Yi Jordan and Marcus Angelo Jordan
  11. ^ "Skeletons Pour From Kerik's Closet, Paper: Ex-Home Security Nominee Kept 1 Of His 3 Marriages A Secret - CBS News". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  12. ^ http://stevegilliard.blogspot.com/2004/12/secret-wife.html Info on Linda Hales Kerik Priest
  13. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/16/national/16nanny.html?pagewanted=all&position= Joseph in training in Passaic County Police Academy
  14. ^ "CNN.com - Transcripts". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  15. ^ Political Friendster - Jeanette Pinero - Connections
  16. ^ "Apartment Said to Have Been Scene of a Kerik Affair," Charles Bagki, New York Times, December 15, 2004
  17. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/16/national/16nanny.html?pagewanted=all&position= Bernard moved his family from Riverdale, Bronx to NJ
  18. ^ "washingtonpost.com: Kerik's Surveillance Activity in Saudi Arabia Is Disputed". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  19. ^ "Loyal to Kerik, Giuliani Missed Warning Signs - New York Times". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  20. ^ "Is Bernard Kerik qualified to run homeland security? - By Fred Kaplan - Slate Magazine". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  21. ^ "Giuliani's police chief could be problem - Rudy Giuliani News - MSNBC.com". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  22. ^ "Kerik's Love Nest Angers Residents Of Liberty View - December 20, 2004 - The New York Sun". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  23. ^ Packer, George (2005). The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. pp. 312–313. ISBN 978-0-374-29963-7.
  24. ^ "No Skeletons in My Closet!". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  25. ^ "As Kerik Faces Court, Questions Persist on Background Check - New York Times". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  26. ^ "Disgraced and Penalized, Kerik Finds His Name Stripped Off Jail - New York Times". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  27. ^ "2 Contractors With Kerik Ties Are Indicted on Perjury Charges - New York Times". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  28. ^ "Ex-NYC Commish Rejects Plea Deal - washingtonpost.com". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  29. ^ "FOXNews.com - Bernard Kerik Indictment Charges to be Announced Friday - Politics". Retrieved 2007-11-09. {{cite web}}: Text "Democratic Party" ignored (help); Text "Political Spectrum" ignored (help); Text "Republican Party" ignored (help)
  30. ^ "Former Giuliani protege indicted on corruption charges - CNN.com". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  31. ^ "Feds: Bernard Kerik's a scammer who ripped off city". Retrieved 2007-11-10.
  32. ^ Greg B. Smith, "Bernard Kerik probe: When did Rudy Giuliani know?" "New York Daily News" October 13, 2007 http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime_file/2007/10/13/2007-10-13_bernard_kerik_probe_when_did_rudy_giulia-1.html
  33. ^ Wayne Barrett, "'No Skeletons in My Closet!': Oh yeah? How Michael Mukasey and Bernie Kerik are haunting Rudy's run." "Village Voice" October 30, 2007 http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0744,barrett,78212,6.html
  34. ^ "Prosecutors expected to file charges against Bernard Kerik". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  35. ^ "White House Says Mukasey Would Skip Giuliani Issues - New York Times". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  36. ^ "village voice > news > 'No Skeletons in My Closet!' by Wayne Barrett". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  37. ^ "White House Says Mukasey Would Skip Giuliani Issues - New York Times". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  38. ^ "Mukasey Papers Cite Giuliani Friendship - washingtonpost.com". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  39. ^ "GIULIANI'S BERNARD KERIK SHIELD". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
  40. ^ "White House Says Mukasey Would Skip Giuliani Issues - New York Times". Retrieved 2007-11-09.
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Bibliography

  • War Stories: Behind the Silver and Gold Shields Thomas J. Ward, Bernard B. Kerik (Looseleaf Law Publications, 2002) ISBN 1-889031-58-5
  • The Lost Son: A Life in Pursuit of Justice Bernard B. Kerik (Regan Books, 2001) ISBN 0-06-000901-2 (autobiography) [4]
  • In the Line of Duty Bernard B. Kerik (Regan Books, 2001)
  • Imperial Life in the Emerald City Rajiv Chandrasekaran
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