Rudy's "Gift That Keeps On Giving"

Just when things are going oh so swimmingly for Rudy! in his quest for the Repug presidential nomination, along comes Bernie Kerik once more, floating to the top of the pond like the carcass of a dead fish.

As noted here, the one-time-protégé of “America’s Mayor” is facing charges of bribery, tax fraud and obstruction of justice…

The indictment will have direct implications for Giuliani, the sources said.

For one, another Giuliani commissioner and a top inspector general during Giuliani's years as mayor will be called as witnesses to describe the secret meeting in Tribeca.

The Giuliani officials are Raymond Casey, former head of the Trade Waste Commission, a city agency set up to keep the mob out of the carting industry, and Michael Caruso, former inspector general with the city Department of Investigation.

In July 1999, Casey and Caruso met with Kerik, then the city Correction Department commissioner, at Walker's bar on North Moore St., court papers reveal.

At the time, Casey was investigating Interstate Industrial Corp., a company that employed Kerik's brother Donald and the best man at Kerik's wedding, Larry Ray.

An Interstate affiliate had applied to operate a waste transfer station in Staten Island, and Casey was looking into allegations that the firm had ties to the Gambino crime family.

During the meeting, both Interstate and Ray were discussed, according to an affidavit filed in a civil suit by Caruso's lawyer, Mark Freyberg.

Kerik has admitted that at the time Interstate was secretly paying to renovate his Bronx apartment. Prosecutors are now expected to allege that the free renovations amounted to Kerik accepting bribes, the sources said.

In return for the renovations, the feds will allege, Kerik used his city position to try to influence the city's probe of Interstate, the sources said.

Also, as George Packer of The New Yorker notes here, Bernie actually put in an appearance “over there” during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003…

"He [Army Lt. Colonel in charge of Kirkuk reconstruction] was afraid that the new Kirkuk police force, which the battalion he commanded had already set up, would have to be scrapped when Bernard Kerik - the colorful former New York police chief - finally got around to announcing his national plan. Instead, Kerik spent his time in Baghdad going on raids with South African mercenaries while his house in New Jersey underwent renovation. He went home after just three months, leaving almost nothing behind, while the Lt. Colonel spent almost a year in Kirkuk."

Payback through home or apartment renovation seems to be a preferred method of compensation for Bernie Kerik, between this and the prior story.

And though Rudy! has apologized in the past for his actions related to Kerik, Joe Conason tells us here that…

Unfortunately for Mr. Giuliani, no apology will satisfy the press appetite for tawdry Kerik tales. Very rarely does a story exposing abuse of police authority include such beguiling details as a jewel-encrusted badge, a mobbed-up crony, a multimillion-dollar stock trade and a flashy mistress. The more we hear about the bodyguard and driver whom Mr. Giuliani promoted to police commissioner, the more we also learn about the man who likes to be called America's Mayor.

I think we can count on new developments related to Bernie Kerik popping up at regular intervals as the campaign proceeds, especially after a trial date is set. And when it does, we’ll be able to see the walking, talking embodiment of one of the worst mistakes in judgment (among others) that the man who wants to milk “9/11” all the way to the White House (God help us) has ever made.