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Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Bernard Kerik, who led NYPD on 9/11 before prison and pardon, has died at 69
NEW YORK — Bernard Kerik, who served as New York City's police commissioner on 9/11 and later pleaded guilty to tax fraud before being pardoned, has died. He was 69. FBI Director Kash Patel said that Kerik's death Thursday came after an unspecified 'private battle with illness.' Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who tapped Kerik as a bodyguard for his 1993 mayoral campaign and later appointed him to lead the NYPD, reflected on their long history on his show Thursday. 'We've been together since the beginning. He's like my brother,' Giuliani said through tears. 'I was a better man for having known Bernie. I certainly was a braver and stronger man.' New York City Mayor Eric Adams, also a former NYPD officer, said he'd visited Kerik, his 'friend of nearly 30 years,' at a hospital earlier in the day. Kerik, an Army veteran, was hailed as a hero after the 9/11 attack and eventually nominated to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, before a dramatic fall from grace that ended with him behind bars. He served nearly four years in prison after pleading guilty in 2009 to tax fraud, making false statements and other charges. The charges stemmed partially from apartment renovations he received from a construction firm that authorities say wanted Kerik to convince New York officials it had no links to organized crime. During Kerik's sentencing, the judge noted that he committed some of the crimes while serving as 'the chief law enforcement officer for the biggest and grandest city this nation has.' President Trump pardoned Kerik during a 2020 clemency blitz. Kerik was one of the guests feting Trump after his first federal court appearance in Florida in a case related to his handling of classified documents. Kerik grew up in Paterson, New Jersey, where he dropped out of the troubled Eastside High School later depicted in the 1989 film 'Lean on Me.' He joined the Army, where he became a military policeman stationed in South Korea. He went on to work private security in Saudi Arabia before returning stateside to supervise a jail in New Jersey. He joined the NYPD in the late 1980s and was appointed in the 1990s to run New York's long-troubled jail system, including the city's notorious Riker's Island complex. Kerik was appointed by Giuliani to serve as police commissioner in 2000 and was often by the mayor's side in the period after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. 'He was at my side within 20 minutes of the attack and never left,' Giuliani recalled in a statement following Kerik's death. In Kerik's 2015 book, 'From Jailer to Jailed,' he described becoming 'America's Top Cop' after the attacks. 'But I'd give anything for that day not to have happened. I wish it hadn't. But it did,' he wrote. 'And I happened to be there at the time. I was there, and I did the best I could do under the circumstances. It's all any of us did.' He was tapped by President George W. Bush to help organize Iraq's police force in 2003, then nominated to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security the following year. But Kerik caught the administration off guard when he abruptly withdrew his nomination, saying he had uncovered information that led him to question the immigration status of a person he employed as a housekeeper and nanny. More serious legal troubles followed, culminating in his conviction. In 2005, Kerik founded the Kerik Group, a crisis and risk management consulting firm. More recently, he worked for Giuliani again, surrounding the efforts to overturn Trump's 2020 loss.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Bernard Kerik, who led NYPD on 9/11 before prison and pardon, has died at 69
NEW YORK (AP) — Bernard Kerik, who served as New York City's police commissioner on 9/11 and later pleaded guilty to tax fraud before being pardoned, has died. He was 69. FBI Director Kash Patel said that Kerik's death Thursday came after an unspecified 'private battle with illness.' Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who tapped Kerik as a bodyguard for his 1993 mayoral campaign and later appointed him to lead the NYPD, reflected on their long history on his show Thursday. 'We've been together since the beginning. He's like my brother,' Giuliani said through tears. 'I was a better man for having known Bernie. I certainly was a braver and stronger man.' New York City Mayor Eric Adams, also a former NYPD officer, said he'd visited Kerik, his 'friend of nearly 30 years,' at a hospital earlier in the day. Kerik, an Army veteran, was hailed as a hero after the 9/11 attack and eventually nominated to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, before a dramatic fall from grace that ended with him behind bars. He served nearly four years in prison after pleading guilty in 2009 to tax fraud, making false statements and other charges. The charges stemmed partially from apartment renovations he received from a construction firm that authorities say wanted Kerik to convince New York officials it had no links to organized crime. During Kerik's sentencing, the judge noted that he committed some of the crimes while serving as 'the chief law enforcement officer for the biggest and grandest city this nation has.' President Donald Trump pardoned Kerik during a 2020 clemency blitz. Kerik was one of the guests feting Trump after his first federal court appearance in Florida in a case related to his handling of classified documents. Kerik grew up in Paterson, New Jersey, where he dropped out of the troubled Eastside High School later depicted in the 1989 film 'Lean on Me.' He joined the Army, where he became a military policeman stationed in South Korea. He went on to work private security in Saudi Arabia before returning stateside to supervise a jail in New Jersey. He joined the NYPD in the late 1980s and was appointed in the 1990s to run New York's long-troubled jail system, including the city's notorious Riker's Island complex. Kerik was appointed by Giuliani to serve as police commissioner in 2000 and was often by the mayor's side in the period after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. 'He was at my side within 20 minutes of the attack and never left,' Giuliani recalled in a statement following Kerik's death. In Kerik's 2015 book, 'From Jailer to Jailed,' he described becoming 'America's Top Cop" after the attacks. 'But I'd give anything for that day not to have happened. I wish it hadn't. But it did,' he wrote. 'And I happened to be there at the time. I was there, and I did the best I could do under the circumstances. It's all any of us did.' He was tapped by President George W. Bush to help organize Iraq's police force in 2003, then nominated to head the U.S. Department of Homeland Security the following year. But Kerik caught the administration off guard when he abruptly withdrew his nomination, saying he had uncovered information that led him to question the immigration status of a person he employed as a housekeeper and nanny. More serious legal troubles followed, culminating in his conviction. In 2005, Kerik founded the Kerik Group, a crisis and risk management consulting firm. More recently, he worked for Giuliani again, surrounding the efforts to overturn Trump's 2020 loss. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Kerik pleaded guilty in 2009, not 2010. The Associated Press
Mint
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Who was Bernard Kerik? Ex-NYPD commissioner hailed as 9/11 hero, then enmeshed in fraud case, has died at 69
Bernard Kerik, the disgraced former New York City police commissioner, hailed for his leadership during the 9/11 incident, has passed away at 69 due to illness, according to an AP report. The news was confirmed by the NY police department (NYPD) via social media on May 29. And FBI Director Kash Patel shared that Kerik's death came 'after a private battle with illness'. Kerik fell from grace after pleading guilty for tax fraud and serving time in jail for the same. He was later pardoned by United States President Donald Trump and released from prison, it added. Kerik grew up in Paterson, New Jersey. He dropped out of the local Eastside High School, known for its troubles and which was depicted in the 1989 film 'Lean on Me', and joined the Army, as per the report. He started his military career as a policeman stationed in South Korea. Post the military he worked private security in Saudi Arabia, before returning to the US as a supervisor at a New Jersey jail. He joined the NYPD in the late 1980s and in the 1990s was tapped to run New York's long-troubled jail system, including the city's notorious Riker's Island complex, the AP report noted. Kerik rose through the NYPD ranks to the position of commissioner. He was appointed as police commissioner in 2000 by then mayor Giuliani, and was in the role during the September 11, 2001 twin tower attacks. In Kerik's 2015 book, 'From Jailer to Jailed', he described becoming 'America's Top Cop" after the attacks. Stating: 'But I'd give anything for that day not to have happened. I wish it hadn't. But it did. And I happened to be there at the time. I was there, and I did the best I could do under the circumstances. It's all any of us did.' In 2003, then President George W Bush appointed Kerik to help organise Iraq's police force. In 2004, Kerik was nominated to head the US Department of Homeland Security, but abruptly withdrew his nomination, saying he had uncovered information that led him to question the immigration status of a person he employed as a housekeeper and nanny. In 2005, Kerik founded the crisis and risk management consulting firm, called Kerik Group. In 2010, he was arrested for federal tax fraud and false statements. The charges said he recieved $2,50,000 in apartment renovations from a construction company, to convince NY city officials the firm had no organised crime links. During Kerik's sentencing, the judge noted that he committed some of the crimes while serving as 'the chief law enforcement officer for the biggest and grandest city this nation has.' He served three years in prison and was released in 2013. Later in 2020, US President Donald Trump pardoned Kerik. He later worked for the former mayor of New York City surrounding the efforts to overturn Trump's 2020 loss. Speaking about his friend on May 29, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani praised Kerik saying, 'We've been together since the beginning. He's like my brother. I was a better man for having known Bernie. I certainly was a braver and stronger man.' In his post on social media, Kash Patel described Kerik as 'a warrior, a patriot, and one of the most courageous public servants this country has ever known.'
Mint
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Who is Bernard Kerik? Ex-NYPD commissioner hailed as 9/11 hero, then enmeshed in fraud case, has died at 69
Bernard Kerik, the disgraced former New York City police commissioner, hailed for his leadership during the 9/11 incident, has passed away at 69 due to illness, according to an AP report. The news was confirmed by the NY police department (NYPD) via social media on May 29. And FBI Director Kash Patel shared that Kerik's death came 'after a private battle with illness'. Kerik fell from grace after pleading guilty for tax fraud and serving time in jail for the same. He was later pardoned by United States President Donald Trump and released from prison, it added. Kerik grew up in Paterson, New Jersey. He dropped out of the local Eastside High School, known for its troubles and which was depicted in the 1989 film 'Lean on Me', and joined the Army, as per the report. He started his military career as a policeman stationed in South Korea. Post the military he worked private security in Saudi Arabia, before returning to the US as a supervisor at a New Jersey jail. He joined the NYPD in the late 1980s and in the 1990s was tapped to run New York's long-troubled jail system, including the city's notorious Riker's Island complex, the AP report noted. Kerik rose through the NYPD ranks to the position of commissioner. He was appointed as police commissioner in 2000 by then mayor Giuliani, and was in the role during the September 11, 2001 twin tower attacks. In Kerik's 2015 book, 'From Jailer to Jailed', he described becoming 'America's Top Cop" after the attacks. Stating: 'But I'd give anything for that day not to have happened. I wish it hadn't. But it did. And I happened to be there at the time. I was there, and I did the best I could do under the circumstances. It's all any of us did.' In 2003, then President George W Bush appointed Kerik to help organise Iraq's police force. In 2004, Kerik was nominated to head the US Department of Homeland Security, but abruptly withdrew his nomination, saying he had uncovered information that led him to question the immigration status of a person he employed as a housekeeper and nanny. In 2005, Kerik founded the crisis and risk management consulting firm, called Kerik Group. In 2010, he was arrested for federal tax fraud and false statements. The charges said he recieved $2,50,000 in apartment renovations from a construction company, to convince NY city officials the firm had no organised crime links. During Kerik's sentencing, the judge noted that he committed some of the crimes while serving as 'the chief law enforcement officer for the biggest and grandest city this nation has.' He served three years in prison and was released in 2013. Later in 2020, US President Donald Trump pardoned Kerik. He later worked for the former mayor of New York City surrounding the efforts to overturn Trump's 2020 loss. Speaking about his friend on May 29, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani praised Kerik saying, 'We've been together since the beginning. He's like my brother. I was a better man for having known Bernie. I certainly was a braver and stronger man.' In his post on social media, Kash Patel described Kerik as 'a warrior, a patriot, and one of the most courageous public servants this country has ever known.' 'He was decorated more than 100 times for bravery, valor, and service, having rescued victims from burning buildings, survived assassination attempts, and brought some of the world's most dangerous criminals to justice. His legacy is not just in the medals or the titles, but in the lives he saved, the city he helped rebuild, and the country he served with honor,' Patel said.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA playoffs: Round 2 predictions! Who will advance in the West? And are the Cavs in trouble?
The second round of the NBA playoffs is already underway, and the Western Conference matchups are finally set. Who wins Thunder-Nuggets and Wolves-Warriors? And what should we make of the Pacers stealing Game 1 from the Cavaliers? Let's break it down. Biggest takeaway from Game 1 of Cavs-Pacers? Vincent Goodwill: That the Cavs need Darius Garland back, and in the words of Morgan Freeman as Joe Clark in 'Lean on Me,' "Expeditiously!" Their two-pronged attack works with two lead guards able to run pick-and-rolls on each side of the floor. Some of this is general variance, playing a tougher opponent and not hitting jumpers. But Donovan Mitchell is better when Garland is alongside him, and vice versa. The Pacers hit everything from 3, and that probably won't continue. But Garland being there helps tempo and enables Mitchell to be looser offensively. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Tom Haberstroh: It's a make-or-miss league. The Cavs outplayed the Pacers in just about every facet of the game except a big one: the 3-point column. The Pacers shot a blistering 19-of-36 (52.8%) from deep while the Cavs stunk up the joint at 9-of-38 (23.7%). When you lose the long-ball column by 30 points, that's way too much for anyone to overcome. I wouldn't change much if I'm the Cavs. Darius Garland could stem the tide there! Ben Rohrbach: The Cavaliers, who were operating on a week's rest after sweeping the Miami Heat, were not prepared for the swiftness with which the Pacers attack. Indiana got 13 shots up in the first six seconds of the shot clock, shooting 62%. It did not help that Cleveland could not buy a jump shot, contributing to those transition opportunities. Expect the Cavaliers to be better prepared for Indiana's tempo in Game 2. Dan Devine: Indiana's going to make the Cavs prove it. When you see that Cleveland finished Game 1 with a 70-38 edge in points in the paint, you'd figure the favorites dominated; when you see that Cleveland went just 9-for-38 from 3-point range, it's tempting to chalk the loss up to the vicissitudes of shooting variance. Look closer, though, and you'll see Cleveland got all those shots in the lane in part because the Pacers' perimeter defenders refused to help off the arc. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Maybe if you give Donovan Mitchell, Ty Jerome, Sam Merrill, Max Strus and Co. the same diet of looks four more times, the Cavs would take all four games. But Indiana's bet that the Cavs wouldn't beat them trading 2s for 3s has already paid off once. If Cleveland can't change the math — the status of Darius Garland's toe looms large — the Pacers could be in excellent position to pull off the upset. Celtics-Knicks, Round 2: Who wins? Devine: Celtics in 5. This is the nightmare matchup for these Knicks — the bar was set last season and they were very clearly attempting to reach it with their offseason moves, but they have proven all season long incapable of reaching it. (For the millionth time: New York went 0-10 against the Celtics, Cavs and Thunder during the regular season, and 51-21 against everybody else.) Respect for Jalen Brunson's record of stellar postseason performances requires me to project one out-of-body-experience type of win. Beyond that, though? I expect the C's to be gentlemen about moving on to yet another Eastern Conference finals. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Rohrbach: Celtics in 6. It makes me nervous that consensus considers this an easy series for the Celtics. Jalen Brunson is incredible, and New York's Villanova boys never quit. Boston is banged up, too. But I just cannot imagine a scenario in which the defensive combination of Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns does not get pick-and-rolled to death. This is what the Celtics have done to them in the past, and it has yielded 130.2 points per 100 possessions this season. Goodwill: Celtics in 5. The Knicks will be lucky to get a game. Maybe if the C's are more hurt than this week off allows for recovery, but they're built to easily deconstruct the Knicks with size advantages across the board, and nobody is guarding Jayson Tatum. Haberstroh: Celtics in 5. As good as Jalen Brunson was in the clutch, the Knicks' porous defense won't be able to contain the Boston Celtics' five-out offense. It will look alien compared to the Detroit Pistons' offense that often had multiple non-shooters on the floor. Kristaps Porziņģis in Celtics green at MSG? Sign me up. Thunder-Nuggets, Round 2: Who wins? Rohrbach: Thunder in 6. If it were just Nikola Jokić vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — a battle of the two leading MVP candidates — we could expect a knockdown, drag-out series, but Oklahoma City's depth will wear out the Nuggets' six-man rotation over the course of a seven-game set. The Thunder are relentless. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Goodwill: Thunder in 5. Game 7 was impressive for the Nuggets, but they scraped by a couple games against the Clippers. One thinks the Thunder will not suffer the same fate. Nikola Jokić will pull a game or two out on sheer will, but it's too much to ask to win a series. If OKC is legit, then it'll make sure it doesn't go seven games here. There are too many defenders, too many combinations to make this work. Devine: Thunder in 6. Oklahoma City is the fresher, younger, deeper, more balanced and flat-out better team, with a double-big look to throw at Nikola Jokić, an armada of point-of-attack defenders to sic on Jamal Murray, and an all-world scorer in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander capable of slicing Denver's perimeter corps to ribbons. I've had OKC going to the Finals since before the season tipped off in October; as much respect as I have for the way Denver outlasted the Clippers, I see no reason to change up now. Haberstroh: Thunder in 6. I see the youthful Thunder winning the battle of the MVPs (I think Shai wins it in a landslide) with the rest advantage. The Nuggets handled a stiff Clippers defense, but the Thunder are a different beast now with Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein. The Thunder's Big Four — with SGA, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Hartenstein — have shredded the Nuggets this season in two matchups (before JDub left a game early). I think we'll see more of the same in this one. Wolves-Warriors, Round 2: Who wins? Haberstroh: Warriors in 7. The last time Rudy Gobert faced Draymond Green in the playoffs, it resulted in Gobert's team getting swept in 2017. That was a long time ago and Kevin Durant isn't next to Green anymore. Still, I see Stephen Curry and the Warriors taking the Timberwolves just like they did in the regular season (3-1). I like Kevon Looney in this matchup, and boy do I trust the Warriors' newcomer, Jimmy Butler, more in a playoff setting than I do the Wolves' addition, Julius Randle. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Rohrbach: Wolves in 6. The Warriors, following a seven-game series against the Rockets, are seemingly running on fumes. Jimmy Butler is hobbled ... and older, as are Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. And they are not getting enough help to keep pace with a younger and hungrier and deeper Minnesota team. Devine: Wolves in 6. The idea of picking against Stephen Curry against a team he torched during the regular season makes me feel queasy. But with Golden State coming off a seven-game war against Houston, with the Warriors' mid-30s top guns all having put a ton of minutes and miles on their legs to knock off the Rockets, with just one off day before Game 1 tips off at Target Center, with Minnesota having both home-court advantage and a rest advantage, and with just one day between games through the first five affairs, everything seems lined up for the Wolves to eventually force the more experienced underdog to run out of gas. Goodwill: Wolves in 7. It's hard to see the Warriors going down on their home floor, at least not as meekly as the Lakers did in Round 1. This is a prideful group, an ornery one. Feels like fatigue will catch the Warriors playing every other day until Game 6 at home, which could give them new life if they're still alive. But Anthony Edwards has skins on the wall, and it feels like Steph is next. (Wait, does this mean I'm betting against Steph? Oy.)
