Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik Indicted For Lying To White House

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7015284792

5/27/2009

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik was indicted on Tuesday for lying to White House officials while he was being vetted for Secretary of Homeland Security in 2004. Kerik had been indicted last year of similar charges in New York, but those charges were dismissed and transferred to D.C., where the crimes allegedly occurred.

According to prosecutors, Kerik had given misleading and false statements about his relationship with contractors who were seeking to do business with the city when he was police commissioner in 1999 and 2000.

Kerik, who was also commissioner of corrections at the time, had spoken to city regulators on behalf of the contractors, who subsequently spent more than $255,000 renovating his apartment in Riverdale, New York.

When he was being vetted for the post of Homeland Security secretary, Kerik had told White House officials that he had, as police commissioner, no financial dealings with individuals seeking to do business with New York City. He also lied in an email he sent to the White House about the renovations to his apartment.

Kerik was previously indicted on false statement charges in November 2007 in New York, but those similar charges have been dropped Similar charges against Kerik in a larger 2007 indictment in New York have been dropped because those false statements were made in Washington, prosecutors said.

The 53-year-old Kerik was police commissioner during 9/11 and served as Interim Minister of Interior of Iraq after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq under the Bush administration. He faces up to five years in prison and $250,000 on each of the two false statement charges if convicted.

His attorney, Barry Berke, has told WCBS-TV, "Today's indictment of Mr. Kerik -- the third separate prosecution against him arising out of the same purported corruption allegations from 10 years ago -- is the latest example of the Department of Justice's overzealous pursuit of high-profile public figures."