Former NYPD Commissione Bernie Kerik dead at 69
Ex-NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik, whose career included White House stints under President Trump and former President George W. Bush, died Thursday after being hospitalized with cardiac illness.
He was 69.
Kerik's high-profile career was peppered with both success and controversy.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, on Sept. 4, 1955, he served in the US Army before joining the NYPD in 1986.
Former NYPD Commissioner and national security expert Bernie Kerik has died at age 69.
FREELANCE
In 1994, he left the force and joined the Department of Corrections, being named its commissioner four years later by former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who also tapped him as the city's top cop in 2000.
Kerik was at the helm of the NYPD and received wide praise for deploying cops during the department's response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks that downed the Twin Towers, earning the nickname 'America's Cop.'
In 2003, following the US invasion of Iraq, then-President George W. Bush named Kerik to head up a provisional police force in the post-war Middle Eastern nation.
The former top cop later founded Kerik Group, a private crisis and risk management consulting firm.
Kerik was hospitalized with an unnamed cardiac illness before his death on Thursday.
FREELANCE
Bush nominated Kerik to head the US Department of Homeland Security in 2004, but the ex-commissioner withdrew his nomination while admitting he had employed an illegal immigrant as a nanny — which led to his guilty plea to ethics violations in the Bronx in 2006.
His legal troubles worsened in 2009, when he pleaded guilty to eight federal felonies, including charges that he evaded taxes on a $255,000 gift for home repairs and made false statements to federal officials while being considered for the Homeland Security post.
Kerik served four years in federal prison before he was pardoned by Trump in 2020 during his first term in the White House.
More recently, Kerik was grilled by Congress during hearings stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and was subpoenaed to disclose privileged Trump administration documents reportedly linked to the investigation.
He is survived by his wife, Hala Matil Kerik, and three children, including a son with ex-wife Jacqueline Llerena.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Has Big Brother arrived? Inside the secretive Trump effort to centralize government data on millions of Americans
The Trump administration is reportedly leaning on an Elon Musk-allied tech company to build wide-ranging data tools pooling government information on millions of Americans and immigrants alike. The campaign has raised alarms from critics that the company could be furthering Musk's DOGE effort to vacuum up and potentially weaponize – or sell – mass amounts of sensitive personal data, particularly against vulnerable groups like immigrants and political dissidents. In March, the president signed an executive order dedicated to 'stopping waste, fraud, and abuse by eliminating information silos,' a euphemism for pooling vast stores of data on Americans under the federal government. To carry out the data effort, the administration has deepened the federal government's longstanding partnership with Palantir, a tech firm specializing in building big data applications, which was co-founded by Silicon Valley investor, GOP donor, and JD Vance mentor Peter Thiel. Since Trump took office, the administration has reportedly spent more than $113 million with Palantir through new and existing contracts, while the company is slated to begin work on a new $795 million deal with the Defense Department. Palantir is reportedly working with the administration in the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Internal Revenue Service, according to The New York Times. Within these agencies, the firm is reportedly building tools to track the movement of migrants in real time and streamline all tax data. The company is also reportedly in talks about deploying its technology at the Social Security Administration and the Department of Education, both of which have been targets of DOGE, and which store sensitive information about Americans' identities and finances. 'We act as a data processor, not a data controller,' the company insisted in response to the Times report. 'Our software and services are used under direction from the organizations that license our products. These organizations define what can and cannot be done with their data; they control the Palantir accounts in which analysis is conducted.' The Trump administration has reportedly pursued a variety of efforts to use big data to support its priorities, including social media surveillance of immigrants to detect alleged pro-terror views, and American activists who disagree wit Donal Trump's views.. Earlier this month, a group of former Palantir employees warned in an open letter that the company was 'normalizing authoritarianism under the guise of a 'revolution' led by oligarchs.' 'By supporting Trump's administration, Elon Musk's DOGE initiative, and dangerous expansions of executive power, they have abandoned their responsibility and are in violation of Palantir's Code of Conduct,' the employees wrote. Previous reporting from CNN and WIRED has described efforts at the Department of Homeland Security to build mass data tools to support tracking and surveilling undocumented immigrants, a key priority for the White House as deportations still aren't reaching levels necessary to meet Trump's promise of rapidly removing millions of people from the country. The effort has involved merging data from outside agencies like Social Security and the IRS, according to WIRED. 'They are trying to amass a huge amount of data,' a senior DHS official told the magazine. 'It has nothing to do with finding fraud or wasteful spending … They are already cross-referencing immigration with SSA and IRS, as well as voter data.' Since Trump took office, DOGE operatives, many of whom are unknown to the public nor have been vetted, have rapidly sought access to data at key agencies, including the Departments of Education and the Treasury, as well as the Social Security Administration, often over the objections of senior staff. The efforts have prompted scores of lawsuits against DOGE. At Social Security, the administration also moved thousands of living, mostly Latino undocumented immigrants into the agency's 'Death Master File' in an attempt to pressure them to leave the country. DOGE itself is reportedly under audit for its action by the Government Accountability Office, a federal watchdog. An April letter from Democrats on the House Oversight Committee warned of DOGE's 'extreme negligence and an alarmingly cavalier attitude' toward sensitive data. It claimed a whistleblower had described how 'DOGE engineers have tried to create specialized computers for themselves that simultaneously give full access to networks and databases across different agencies.' The 'whistleblower information obtained by the Committee, combined with public reporting, paints a picture of chaos at SSA [Social Security Administration] as DOGE is rapidly, haphazardly, and unlawfully working to implement changes that could disrupt Social Security payments and expose Americans' sensitive data,' the letter reads.'
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
From prison to paycheck: 1 Mo Question helps ex-offenders with jobs
The Brief 1 Mo Question, Inc. in Atlanta is helping ex-offenders reenter society by hosting career fairs and offering second chances. Richard King, a former inmate, was one of 17 ex-offenders hired on the spot at the organization's recent job fair. Founder Dr. Travis Barber, also formerly incarcerated, believes ex-offenders can become leaders and plans more job fairs to support their journey. ATLANTA - It's a scenario many don't often think about: what happens to ex-offenders when they are released from prison? For many, the transition back into society can be lonely and overwhelming. After serving their time and paying their debt to society, starting over is no easy task. One organization in Atlanta is working to change that. What we know When inmates finish their jail or prison sentence, reentering society can be almost impossible. 1 Mo Question, Inc. was created to offer second chances. "Being at a penitentiary, where you're not getting a call home every day. You are on lockdown most of the time is traumatic," said Richard King. King, a 38-year-old ex-convict, says life behind bars is denigrating and isolating. He spent 12 years in federal prison for sex trafficking and was released this past January. Now, he is focused on rebuilding his life. Recently, he attended the 1 Mo Question, Inc. job fair in search of employment. "I do deal with bad days, more so often as of late because of bills and I want to do more for my family and my son," King said. King was one of 17 ex-offenders hired on the spot during the organization's second annual Ex-Offenders Career and Employment Fair, founded by Dr. Travis Barber. Barber, who spent a decade in prison himself, knows the importance of a second chance and believes in helping others find theirs. What they're saying "They make employees like me. They become bosses, they become leaders, they become supervisors," said Dr. Barber. "It means the world to me, people counted me out, but I proved everybody wrong." King, now a tire technician, has a 16-year-old son and is committed to making a difference. He says his mission is to reach young people and keep them on the right path. "I am out here, 10 toes down, ready to embark on this new journey of my life," he said. Why you should care 1 Mo Question, Inc. remains committed to helping ex-offenders achieve redemption and plans to host additional job fairs in the coming months.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Netflix Saves ‘Sesame Street' From Trump's Reign of Terror
There are still sunny days ahead for Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Abby Cadabby, who have all survived Trump's recent assassination attempt, thanks to the rescue efforts of Netflix. The streamer just announced that beloved children's program Sesame Street will move to its service, after the Trump administration cut funding for its decades-long home, PBS. The news comes following a tough few months for Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, which lost its contract with HBO after the network sought to shift away from children's programming. Then, another financial blow came from the current administration, after President Donald Trump cut federal funding to PBS, the free public broadcasting service that's been airing Sesame Street for over 50 years. These issues caused what executives described as a 'perfect storm' of problems for the program. Under the new Netflix agreement, new episodes will premiere on Netflix and PBS on the same day, ensuring the educational program stays accessible for millions of children across the country. That in itself is a gesture of good will between the streamer and the public broadcaster that could be construed as a political gesture amid Trump's cuts. 'This unique public-private partnership will enable Sesame Workshop to bring our research-based curriculum to young children around the world with Netflix's global reach, while ensuring children in communities across the U.S. continue to have free access on public television to the Sesame Street they love,' Sesame Workshop CEO Sherri Westin said in a statement. The Netflix deal will begin with the 56th season of Sesame Street later this year and will feature new formatting changes, dropping the magazine-style format in favor of 11-minute story sequences. The show will also take a more character-driven focus as is typical of other popular children's shows like Bluey. As soon as the news dropped about Sesame Street finding a new home, people took to social media to celebrate, expressing their relief that the program can continue despite Trump's funding cuts. Thanks to the new deal, Elmo and his friends will get continue to do what they've always done best: teach kids how to read and count, all while making sure they feel like they will always have a friend to guide them in this chaotic world.
