Rudy in State of Denial on Meet the Press, says DNC

Rudy in State of Denial on Meet the Press, says DNC

Again Refuses to Release Business Client List, Defends Bernie Kerik, and Fails to Address Cover-up of Taxpayer Paid Security for Girlfriend

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- During his first appearance as a presidential candidate on NBC's Meet the Press this morning, Rudy Giuliani continued his refusal to fully disclose his business dealings and connections to shady figures.

Giuliani was confronted with the fact that despite claiming to have cut ties with Giuliani Partners LLP, he still is paid by the company which has clients who could seek to influence Rudy. He again refused to release a full list of all his business clients and he also failed to mention that his long- time close friend Peter Powers is now CEO of Giuliani Partners LLP. Additionally, Giuliani refused to release his tax returns and, on the question of financial disclosure, he simply said, "I'm not going to do more than what is absolutely required." [NBC Meet the Press, 12/9/07]

After admitting that recommending Bernard Kerik was a "mistake", Giuliani continued to give Kerik the benefit of the doubt during the interview. Even when questioned about Kerik's use of a love nest that was meant for resting Ground Zero rescue workers, Giuliani maintained that it is just "an allegation." And despite the ethical cloud over Kerik's head, Giuliani again asserted that his "public performance" was "excellent." [NBC Meet the Press, 12/9/07]

When asked about his blatant misuse of taxpayer-paid security for then- girlfriend Judy Nathan, Giuliani still maintained that it was appropriate. More astonishingly, Giuliani refused to address the fact that the New York Police Department provided Nathan security well before the affair became public. [New York Daily News, 12/7/07, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2007/12/07/2007-12- 07_judith_nathan_got_security_earlier.html (Due to the length of the URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this link into your browser)]

"Rudy Giuliani's refusal to be honest about his shady past is becoming a chronic habit," said DNC Spokesman Dag Vega. "Given his sharp drop in recent polls, it is surprising that Rudy again refuses to release his full list of shady business clients, defends Bernie Kerik, and cover-ups his blatant misuse of taxpayer-paid security. As voters learn about his penchant for covering-up scandals, they will continue to turn away from his candidacy."

RUDY IN DENIAL MODE ON MEET THE PRESS

Denies Shady Business Dealings:

Denied That His Firm Works With Qatar's Interior Ministry, Headed By Protector of 9/11 Mastermind. Today Giuliani said "That's just totally wrong. That's completely distorted. The relationship is not with any of those people. The relationship is with a ministry that does training [Russert: of the interior] no it isn't. [Russert: Which Al Thani is the head of ] Giuliani: It is not. The relationship is not.

-- REALITY: Giuliani's Work Involves The Interior Ministry. After
extensive reports by ABC, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and the Village
Voice, Rudy's claim that they do security work in the country yet do
not work with the controversial interior ministry is nonsensical. The
agency's spokesperson says that all security contracts are approved by
the ministry, and experts and news reports specifically say that the
Giuliani contracts "put them in contact" with the ministry. For
example, the Voice reported that "The ministry's charge under law is to
'create and institute security in this country'" and its spokesperson
said that "a company that does security work, they have to get
permission from the interior ministry." ABC wrote that Since 2005
Giuliani's firm has had contracts" overseen by the country's Interior
Ministry which is currently run by a member of the royal family who has
long been accused of supporting al Qaeda, according to security
consultants familiar with the area ... . the Giuliani firm's contracts
put them in contact with the interior ministry, which oversees all
security contracts in the country." Asked by ABC if the firm had met
with the interior ministry, Giuliani Partners refused to either confirm
or deny. [Village Voice, 11/27/07; "The Blotter," ABCNews.com 11/29/07
(http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/11/giulianis-ties.html]

Said Claims His Firm Represented Hugo Chavez "Stretch." "That's a stretch" Russert responded: "its not."

-- Hedging On If All Clients Have Been In Press, Not Sure About Law
Clients Either. "Just about every single client of Giuliani Partners,
which is my security company, has been discussed, has been examined,
certainly every significant one. Law firm clients, the ones that I've
been involved with, I think have been discussed. I can't say."

Denies Existing Ties to Giuliani Partners LLP:

Take My Word For It: "The reality is that none of them amount to anything other then ethical, lawful work"

No More Ties To Giuliani Partners? Giuliani said, "I've severed every tie I can think of"

-- REALITY: Childhood Friend Is New "CEO," Other Top Aides Help Run
Company. Giuliani Partner's new CEO, Giuliani Partners, is a "childhood
friend of Mr. Giuliani and one of his former deputy mayors." Longtime
close advisors Tony Carbonetti, Michael Hess, Richard Sheirer,
Dennisson Young and Thomas Van Essen are among the remaining principals
at the firm [WSJ, 12/4/07;

http://www.giulianipartners.com/executives.aspx (accessed 12/4/07)]
-- Reality: The Biggest Stakeholder. "Mr. Giuliani remains a 30% equity
owner of Giuliani Partners [WSJ, 12/4/07]

Financial Disclosures: Lowering The Standard. He said "but I'm not going to do more than what is absolutely required."

Will Consider Releasing Taxes "At The Right Time. Russert pointed out that when "you for mayor, you released your tax returns. Will you do that?" Giuliani said: at the right time. At the right time we'll consider doing that ... The right time is not now."

Continues to Defend Bernie Kerik:

Kerik Ethics Briefing Confusion. Pushed about the reported briefing by city investigators, Giuliani now questions whether or not it happened at all: "I don't remember him doing it" and questioned "did he or didn't he brief me?"

-- FLASHBACK: An Evolving Story On What He Knew When. At first Giuliani
denied he had been told, although then acknowledged to grand jury he
may have been briefed once: "'I was not informed of it,' Mr. Giuliani
said then, when asked if he had been warned about Mr. Kerik's
relationship with Interstate before appointing him to the police post
in 2000. Mr. Giuliani amended that statement last year in testimony to
a state grand jury. He acknowledged that the city investigations
commissioner, Edward J. Kuriansky, had told him that he had been
briefed at least once." [New York Times, 11/3/07]

Giving Kerik Benefit Of The Doubt. Giuliani continued to give the benefit of the doubt to Bernard Kerik, including his use of a love nest that was supposed to be used by Ground Zero rescue workers resting. Giuliani said: "First of all, it is an allegation," "I don't know if it was true or not" and "some of these facts are allegations."

Continues to Cover-up Misuse of Taxpayer Paid Security:

JUDITH SECURITY: A Double Standard. Angrily responding to questions about taxpayer funded security for his then-mistress months before it had been previously acknowledged or her identity was public (Giuliani: "No it wasn't. You've got it all ... "), Giuliani still maintained that it was appropriate. Russert asked "Would it be appropriate for a president to provide police protection for a mistress?" And Giuliani responded "it would not be appropriate for that reason."

-- While Russert pointed out that "Bernard Kerik, the police commissioner
said there was no protection before December, 2000, and that is not
true." Giuliani refused to address the question, ignoring reports from
the Daily News and ABC that protection started as early as 1999. [New

York Daily News, 12/7/07, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2007/12/07/2007-12- 07_judith_nathan_got_security_earlier.html (Due to the length of the URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this link into your browser); ABC Political Punch

(http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2007/12/thank-you-have.html]

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org.

This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Source: Democratic National Committee

CONTACT: Dag Vega or, Karen Finney, both of Democratic National
Committee, +1-202-863-8148

Web site:

http://www.democrats.org/
http://www.giulianipartners.com/executives.aspx

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