Former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik was jailed on Tuesday after prosecutors charged him with attempting to influence a jury. Kerik was former President George W. Bush's first nominee to head the Department of Homeland Security.
Former crime fighter Bernie Kerik was jailed yesterday by Westchester Federal Judge Stephen Robinson, reports the
New York Daily News.
Prosecutors allege Kerik was "trying to unduly influence potential jurors." The judge concurred with the prosecutors and revoked Kerik's bail.
Newsday reports that bail was $500,000 and that "Kerik has pleaded not guilty to charges of accepting apartment renovations from a construction company in exchange for recommending the company for city contracts." Moreover, according to
Newsday, Kerik "faces a second trial on tax charges, and a third on claims that he lied to White House officials."
For use in his defense, Kerik was given confidential documents by the court with the understanding the materials remain confidential. The warning from Judge Robinson was not heeded. The documents appeared on a website "affiliated with Kerik's defense."
U.S. District Court Judge Robinson was quoted in the
NY Daily News as saying, "He [Kerik] sees the court's rulings as an inconvenience, something to be ignored, and an obstacle to be circumvented. I fear he has a toxic combination: self-minded focus and arrogance."
Bernard Kerik was New York City's police commissioner at the time of the September 11 attacks. His response to those attacks, and the leadership he displayed, caused then-President George W. Bush to nominate Kerik to lead the Department of Homeland Security reports
Newsday.
Kerik was the first nominee for the DHS top-spot, but his nomination was derailed. During the vetting process, Kerik allegedly lied to White House officials about an undocumented immigrant he had employed reports
Newsday. However, the
New York Post reports Kerik "lied to the White House about allegations that he had traded city contracts for apartment renovations."
According to the
New York Post, Kerik was taken from the White Plains courthouse in an "unmarked van" that transported him to the Westchester County jail in Valhalla.
Kerik's lawyer, Barry Berke, indicated that he will appeal the judge's decision.
