NYT: Beyond...Nanny, More Questions Were Lurking (Kerik Mob connection)

[DeepModem Mom]

Beyond the Disclosure About Kerik's Nanny, More Questions Were Lurking
By WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM and KEVIN FLYNN

Published: December 13, 2004


While serving as New York City correction commissioner in the late 1990's, Bernard B. Kerik spoke to the city's Trade Waste Commission on behalf of a close friend who was helping a company suspected of mob connections try to get a license from the city, according to a former commission executive.

The conversation was part of a web of relationships Mr. Kerik developed with officials of a New Jersey construction company long suspected by New York authorities of connections to organized crime. The company, Interstate Industrial Corporation, hired Mr. Kerik's close friend Lawrence Ray, the best man at Mr. Kerik's wedding, to help with its licensing problems. Mr. Ray said yesterday that he gave Mr. Kerik more than $7,000 in cash and other gifts while Mr. Kerik was commissioner of correction and the police. The gifts were first reported in The Daily News yesterday.

Interstate also hired Mr. Kerik's brother, Donald Kerik, after the conversation with the Trade Waste Commission executive, Raymond V. Casey, then head of enforcement at the agency, although there is no indication that the hiring was in return for the conversation. Both Mr. Kerik and one of the owners of Interstate, Frank DiTommaso, acknowledge that they were friends, but said there was no effort to inappropriately influence the licensing process.

Mr. DiTommaso said his company did not have ties to organized crime. But in January of this year, city regulators recommended denying the license, citing what they said were ties to organized crime over many years.

Mr. Kerik says he does not remember the conversation with Mr. Casey - a top official of a city agency set up to weed out the influence of organized crime from the hauling industry - and Mr. Casey says he cannot recall who initiated it. Nonetheless, the story of Mr. Kerik's relationship with Interstate was almost certain to be one of a mounting number of details from his past that would have been fodder for Senate committees deciding his suitability to be secretary of homeland security, the post to which he was nominated by President Bush last week....


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/13/nyregion/13kerik.html

[truthisfreedom]

1. i don't see any problem. he's just the kind of guy the bush family has

been working closely with for years. put him in anyway...

[pa28]

5. That's what I thought.

On ethics Kerik looks like a boy scout compared with Bush. The Bush people must have vetted his record so I guess they were expecting yet another free pass.

[radfringe]

7. HEY! Kerick has "FAMILY" values

so why dump him? :evilgrin:

Looks like some feces is impacting upon revolving blades and perhaps scattering offal matter about -- but will it adhere?

[autorank]

2. Nice pick Bush.. Who is next? Jack the Ripper for Surgeon General

[Mokito]

4. Or Osama Bin Laden as National Security Adviser

Actually I think he might even seriously consider this as an option. Hey SS, NSA, CIA, FBI! If you're listening; Don't let the chimp read any stories about hackers that become protectors or something like that.
He might just go "Hmmmm...:think:"

[sandnsea]

17. Maybe Gonzales as AG

It pisses me off that we're not as outraged over Gonzales as Kerik. Gonzales is far worse.

[MADem]

23. Knowing him, he'd probably hire a preacher for that job

One that specializes in "laying on of hands" to heal the sick.

But Health and Human Services? Jack the Ripper would have fit in there...oh well, opportunity missed!

[pk_du]

3. Paging Mr. Spitzer.....n/t

[NYC]

6. Or Robert Morgenthau.

The Manhattan D.A.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Is any of this, in fact, subject to prosecution?

[pk_du]

18. "Something's rotten in the State of Denmark"

...ties to the Mob always need investigated/prosectuted - esp. those of people in power. When you have the gall to "go-to-bat" for your "best man" and his company when they are indicted for Mob connections you need to be looked at VERY closely .

[DeepModem Mom]

20. That makes sense, pk_du -- thanks!

[imenja]

8. Did they even bother interviewing this guy?

How on earth could so much dirt have gotten by the White House? As usual, they look like a bunch of amateurs.

[nashville_brook]

9. look under every bush and you find dirt!

[0007]

14. He came with high recommendations from the Carlyle Boys

[imenja]

15. There's an idea. A Saudi prince for Homeland Security Chief!

Maybe even a member of the Bin Laden family. Carlyle would love it. They could pick one of Papa Bush's Saudi pals.

[0007]

21. .....or maybe even John Major

[Cooley Hurd]

10. Captain Mark McClusky for DHS secretary...

The shit on Bernie just gets deeper and deeper and deeeeeeeeper.:D

[LiberalFighter]

12. Any connection to the cleanup of 9/11?

NOBODY within Rudy's admininstration (therefore Bush's admin as well) knew of the illegal operations?


Hmmmmmmm Political Corruption as in Tammany Hall

[LiberalFighter]

13. Tammany Hall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[imenja]

16. At least workers got something from the party bosses in those days

Tammany hall was infinitely fairer to average working Americans than the corporate oligarchy is today.

[Kimber Scott]

19. Nobody gets as rich as Kerik working for the government,

honestly.

[DemBones DemBones]

22. I've been chuckling and giggling my way through all these stories!

Bernie is George's Christmas present to us! He's caused lots of merriment among Democrats after all.

A friend just told me there's talk he'll appoint Lieberman next, though. I quit laughing.

Why not Richard Clarke? He's intelligent and knows a lot already about intelligence, terrorism, etc. I read his book, he's not that hard on Bush**. He says some good and bad things about each of the presidents he worked for. Of course, Bush** can't take any criticism, wants yes-men all around him.