Kerik, lawyer tried to conceal claims

[REP]

(Newsday)

In the 48 hours before his withdrawal as nominee for the nation's top security post, Bernard and his lawyer scrambled to keep damaging assertions about his past out of the public spotlight.

A week after President George W. Bush announced the former city police commissioner as his choice for Homeland Security secretary, an array of charges and questions about Kerik's past were coming to a boil, threatening his crafted image as an American legend and portending a rougher Senate confirmation process than first predicted.

On Thursday, the day before he took his name from contention, Kerik, 49, was forced to testify in a civil lawsuit about an alleged affair with a subordinate.

The case, which involves Kerik's use of authority when he was city correction commissioner between 1998 and 2000 was brought against the city by a former deputy warden. Plaintiff Eric DeRavin III contends Kerik kept him from getting promoted because he had reprimanded the woman, Correction Officer Jeanette Pinero.

About halfway through Pinero's deposition on Tuesday, attorneys for the city began to raise the issue of having the depositions sealed, particularly the parts that concerned Kerik and Pinero's relationship, lawyers in the case said. On Wednesday, the lawyers requested and received a special hearing before Federal Magistrate Kevin Nathaniel Fox, where they requested that both transcripts be sealed.

more

[Leilani]

1. "An American Legend"?

What am I missing?

[bettyellen]

4. weird rags to riches, he had alcoholic whoring mom, i think he was

orphaned when his dad died too. believe it or not, miramax bought the movie rights! i know, it's thin, but anybody connected to 9/11 seems to be golden. except for us NYers, who just lived through it!

[The Backlash Cometh]

29. I think for a Republican, he's a success story.

[NYC]

36. This would make a very entertaining movie

if they would tell the truth, the whole truth.

[msgadget]

41. All the recent nominees are from poor backgrounds,

come to think of it, but he's unique for his lack of religion, Blue state background and moderate godfather. Sort of discourages his mentor from assuming support in the future, doesn't it?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

8. "An American Legend"?

cowboy in D.C. A legend in his own mind. :)

[KDLarsen]

17. Simple..

.. he was in office on 9/11 - any Republican that can be tied to 9/11 = Friggin national hero etc.

[johnfunk]

33. More a "bad movie" than an "American Legend"...

[Scairp]

37. I kept telling my husband he was a scumbag

And he didn't believe me. He does now.

[Ruffhowse]

2. This guy was too slimy for even Chimpy to hire. That's quite an

accomplishment. Guess this takes the shine off of Rudy somewhat. About time, he was getting way to much positive press that wasn't warranted. He's a slimeball too.

[rainbow4321]

32. If he was on shrub's Pioneer$/Ranger$ list

he would have still made it no matter what he did..those are the ones who seem to sail thru the system <after they donate massive amounts of $$$$$$$--and are from TX, usually>. Guess he didn't give enough...

http://www.whitehouseforsale.org/ContributorsAndPaybacks/pioneer_search.cfm


http://www.whitehouseforsale.org/ContributorsAndPaybacks/


The report, Homeland Unsecured: The Bush Administration’s Hostility to Regulation and Ties to Industry Leave America Vulnerable, details how the Bush administration has failed to harden our defenses against terrorism and secure the most vulnerable, high-impact targets. The report is based on an analysis of five key areas – chemical plants, nuclear plants, hazardous material transport, ports and water systems.

The report suggests that this is in part because industries representing the five homeland security areas examined in this study collectively have:

Raised at least $19.9 million for the Bush campaigns, the Republican National Committee or the Bush inauguration since the 2000 cycle.
Provided 10 Rangers and 20 Pioneers – individuals who raise at least $200,000 and $100,000, respectively – to the Bush presidential campaigns. Additionally, these industries spent at least $201 million lobbying in Washington between 2002 and June 2004.



edited for 2nd link

[truthisfreedom]

3. it's those special thug family values that made him do it.

this makes rudy look really bad for supporting him... and it rubs off on bush no matter how bushco tries to spin it.

[anitar1]

5. Love Those Thug Values

They are lined up out there waiting for jobs.

[RC]

6. SEX!!!

Evil, yucky, animal like SEX!!!. Oh, the horror. A human being engaging in SEX!!! How awful.

"...Kerik, 49, was forced to testify in a civil lawsuit about an alleged affair with a subordinate."

But what ever it takes to bench the slime balls bu$h keeps trying to install in his so called administration.

[xchrom]

7. kerik, the perfect republican

he has the same m.o. as those in the admin -- they just can't slide this one by.
but really no different than bush,cheney, rumsfeld, etc.

[salin]

9. Wait a second...

this is the first I have read of this Kerik escapade... but it raises a big question...

During the week of his name offered by the Admin - he was going to appear in court for a civil suit ... on an issue that points to serious impropriety... and the WH couldn't get information that this dude had PR NIGHTMARE written all overhim until... Friday? Doesn't say much about the WH "intel" gathering/vetting process...

[UpInArms]

11. I think that it is just indicative of the lack

of values of this entire mal-administration - not that they didn't know of this particular creep's background and perfidies, but that they just don't care and think that anything, no matter how slimy, can be a part of this oh-so slimy crew.

Remember when they put Kissinger in for the 9/11 commission? How slimy is that?

[salin]

12. and that they left Perle on the Defense Policy Board

even after it was public knowledge that he was peddling for profit info learned (parlaying it into consulting expertise) as Chair of the DPB.

You are right. When do we start counting down to when the TeaPot Dome type scandal finally emerges and unmasks these folks (or at least some of them) - you can't have this much corruptiong running around unchecked for a sustained period of time before even a compliant press finds the thread of a big enough scandal to create a feeding frenzy. It will happen - this term - mark my words.

[UpInArms]

13. the lumps under the blankets

are going to get too large to cover-up at some point.

Someone, hopefully, will pull all the sheets away and the ooze will spill out "all over the dock like that little Kittner boy" (paraphrasing a line from Jaws).

[salin]

14. John Dean had a great article about this a couple of years ago

predicting that this admin would suffer from a major scandal... will have to go and dig it up - and link it here if I can find it.

[salin]

15. a great read...

http://writ.news.findlaw.com/scripts/printer_friendly.pl?page=/dean/20020719.html

[UpInArms]

18. great article - thanks for posting

some good parts:

Scandals don't happen in vacuums. Rather, they need a proper atmosphere. Think of a tree falling in the forest. If no one is around to hear it, it goes unnoticed. If the tree was felled by the rules, then those who learn of it do not object. So it is with scandals: actions and activities must be noticed for a scandal to occur, and there must be an atmosphere intolerant of the action or activity for a scandal to occur.

By definition (according to The American Heritage Dictionary) a scandal is "an act or circumstance that brings about disgrace or offends the morality of the social community." Thus, there must be a community of disapproval for an action to be scandalous.

Presidential scandals often happen when the public is suddenly not as tolerant as it once was of a president's behavior - his conduct, or even a mindset that existed before he assumed office and was fully known to voters at that time. To appreciate this historical paradigm, one need look only at the most significant presidential scandals during the 20th century: Teapot Dome, Watergate, Iran-Contra, and L'affaire Lewinsky. These scandals all occurred when pre-existing behavior patterns of the presidents encountered changed circumstances that also changed public tolerance for the patterns.

<snip>

We do know what, in fact, occurred after his death. He was tarnished and tagged with the scandals, for the circumstances had changed. His trusting management style, and his genial manner, were no longer admired. Rather, Harding was implicated in Teapot Dome by the very fact that he was President, and largely as a result of the scandal, he was soon labeled the worst American president.

perhaps *Co will assume the mantle of the worst American president?

[salin]

20. Combine the worst of Harding and Hoover and voila

we have the bushjr gang. Throw in their enabling of a new McCarthy era of hate and fear mongering for some spice...

[UpInArms]

16. here's a chuckler for you

http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/3990896/detail.html

WASHINGTON -- Bush administration officials say they thoroughly vetted homeland security nominee Bernard Kerik and were surprised to learn that he had concerns about a former domestic employee.

Kerik withdrew his nomination Friday night after revealing he may not have withheld taxes for a nanny and that the woman may have been in the country illegally.

Those are the kind of problems that scuttled high-level appointments in the Clinton and first Bush administration.

<snip>

Administration officials said they're taking Kerik at his word that he didn't deceive them on purpose, and it was solely Kerik's decision to withdraw.

...more...

LOL - is it just more lies, yeah - (Q) Do you know how to tell if anyone in this mal-administration is lying? (A) Their lips are moving.

[salin]

19. What they are implying

is that corruption, abuse of power, and incompetence in Iraq - were all known and a-okay... but this Nanny thing... he just didn't tell us - its his fault - and it is an unexcusable action...

[UpInArms]

23. it is as I posted in #11

they think all of that fits right in with the mal-administration - it was the nanny thing - huh?

a pantload of smelly stuff - hopefully that lump is growing :sigh:

[allalone]

38. to paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld

that was some magic nanny.

[underpants]

22. ABC:WH secrecy makes them announce before background check is done

On World News Tonight last night.

[salin]

26. lol - wonder how many times we will see this cycle play out

would suspect numerous - given the number of positions he has to fill...

[underpants]

27. Boston Globe article

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2004/12/12/white_house_says_kerik_didnt_disclose_potential_problems?pg=2

A full FBI field check of a nominee is sometimes completed in advance of Cabinet picks. Often, as in Kerik's case, it is not. A former administration official familiar with the appointments process said that Bush's system has produced remarkably few problems but that "perceived or actual political pressure to get appointments done quickly" often makes it impossible to do as much checking as White House lawyers would like.

Bush, White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr., political adviser Karl Rove, and Dina Powell, head of the presidential personnel, are usually the only ones outside the counsel's office aware of the selections. Once the pick is made, the counsel's office vets the candidate, asking scores of questions about personal relationships and finances, professional dealings, and criminal or improper behavior. Records are reviewed and potential problems investigated. If nothing problematic arises, Bush makes the announcement -- often before the FBI has conducted its background check.

The FBI check is completed before the Senate confirms each pick. The efficacy of Bush's process is in the results, they say: Kerik is only the second nominee in two terms to be withdrawn. Bill Clinton, by comparison, had two attorney general nominees forced out and six total in his two terms.

[salin]

28. Flaw in the system when a notorious "yesman" does the

vetting as is the case with the wh counsel, Gonzales.

[CRK7376]

10. Why do I keep hearing

Paul Simon's "Slip Sliding Away"......Bush and his buddies always seem to Slip Slide Away from anything damaging....

[The Zanti Regent]

21. because it's what the PRESSTITUTES are singing

Yes, nothing here, move on, meanwhile let's go back to Michael Jackson's DNA test...

[FizzFuzz]

31. PRESS-titutes. Boy is that ever a good one. I'm gonna use that.

If you don't mind? :D

[BlueManDude]

24. Local news was spinning that it was just a "nanny problem"

last night. This is the mentality and intellect of the people who are filling our airwaves with nonsense. Did anyone happen to catch Kerik's little media availability yesterday? Who were the security goons he was with? The man holds no government job - why the goons? Former NYPD no doubt. Kerik is not right in the head.

[fishnfla]

30. They are so hoping its only the nanny thing broadcast

its about as smart as the press and gullible public can understand

[wicket]

25. What an effing scumbag!!!

:grr:

[talk hard]

34. Still he's the darling of the righties

Yet, they still call Kerik a "stand-up guy."

Makes one wonder exactly how cheesy one must be to be demoted in their eyes.

Oh, that's right, Clinton's penis.

Nevermind.

[LizW]

35. Holy crap

Every time I've checked DU today there's been a new and different revelation about the slimebaggery of Kerik. Mind-boggling.

[daleo]

39. Still, it is odd

He hasn't been caught with anything all that different from what has been discovered about lots of right wing politicians and pundits, and they have all gotten the capital R pass. I suppose the position is just too close to Bush himself to get the soft treatment.

[Rose Siding]

40. Looks like the ONLY job qualification for Bush's DHS head was....

that they not be Muslim :shrug: