Ex-Commissioner Charged with Lying to White House

ARUN KRISTIAN DAS

MYFOXNY.COM - A federal grand jury has indicted former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard B. Kerik, according to acting U.S. Attorney Lev Dassin of the Southern District of New York.

The grand jury charged Kerik with lying to White House officials during the vetting process when he was nominated to become the secretary of homeland security by President George W. Bush.

The indictment alleges that from 1999 and 2000, Kerik -- who was then the commissioner of the Corrections Department and later the NYPD commissioner -- spoke to city regulators on behalf of contractors who were looking for permits to do business in and with the city. Those contractors then spent more than $255,000 renovating Kerik's apartment in the Riverdale section of the Bronx.

After his nomination to be DHS secretary, Kerik gave "false and misleading answers" to questions by White House officials about his relationship to those contractors, according to feds.

Kerik's lawyer, Barry Berke, called the accusations unfounded and says his client will be completely vindicated, the AP reported.

Kerik eventually withdrew his name from the running, and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge became secretary instead.

source : http://www.myfoxny.com