[Mb-civic] Homeland Security Nominee Withdraws

[Michael Butler]

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    Homeland Security Nominee Withdraws
    CNN

     Friday 10 December 2004
 Former NYC police commissioner cites employee problem.


    Washington - One week after President Bush's nominated him to be
secretary of homeland security, former New York Police Commissioner Bernard
Kerik withdrew from consideration Friday night after discovering a former
household employee had a questionable immigration status.

     Kerik said in a news release the immigration problem with the former
housekeeper and nanny was discovered while he was completing documents
required for his Senate confirmation.

     He said he also learned "that for a period of time during such
employment, required tax payments and related filings had not been made."

     In a letter to Bush, Kerik said that while serving in the Cabinet post
would have been "the honor of a lifetime, I am convinced that, for personal
reasons, moving forward would not be in the best interests of your
administration, the Department of Homeland Security or the American people.

     "Under the present circumstances ... I cannot permit matters personal
to me to distract from the focus and progress of the Department of Homeland
Security and its crucial endeavors."

     Kerik informed Bush of his decision in a phone call about 8:30 p.m.

     The White House later issued a statement saying the president "respects
his decision and wishes Commissioner Kerik and his wife, Hala, well."

     Kerik, 49, led the New York City Police Department through the
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and their aftermath.

     He is a senior vice president of Giuliani Partners, the consulting firm
founded by Rudy Giuliani, who as mayor of New York appointed him police
commissioner in 2000.

     Bush announced his nomination of Kerik on December 3, saying his "broad
practical hands-on experience makes [him] superbly qualified to lead the
Department of Homeland Security."

     In 2003, Kerik went to Iraq at Bush's request to help train the new
Iraqi police force and campaigned for Bush's re-election, making a speech at
the Republican National Convention in August.

     Past immigration problems

    The immigration status of household help employed by prospective
high-level government officials has been an issue for the past decade,
starting with Zoe Baird, President Bill Clinton's first pick for attorney
general.

     Baird was forced to withdraw in 1993 after admitting she employed two
undocumented workers and did not pay required employee taxes for them.

     Bush's first nominee for labor secretary in 2001, Linda Chavez, also
withdrew her nomination after disclosing that an illegal immigrant had lived
in her house in the 1990s and performed household chores.

     Chavez maintained, however, that the woman was a friend she was trying
to help and not a paid employee.

     Earlier Friday, White House officials downplayed the possible impact on
Kerik's nomination of questions about possible conflicts of interests.

     Those included more than $6 million in stock options he collected as a
board member of from Taser International, which supplies stun guns to law
enforcement agencies.

     As part of the confirmation process, Kerik planned to sever his ties
with Taser International and Giuliani Partners, White House spokesman Brian
Besanceney said.

     An administration official said that on at least two occasions Giuliani
made a personal pitch to the White House that Kerik be named to succeed Tom
Ridge, 59, who announced his resignation November 30.

     Ridge said he will remain in the post until February 1 unless a
successor is confirmed sooner.

     The Department of Homeland Security was created in January 2003 as 22
government agencies were blended into the new department with 180,000
personnel.

     Ridge has been the only chief of the department, which oversees border
security and immigration. It also responds to natural disasters and
screening airline passengers.

     The department was charged with developing and coordinating a national
strategy to protect against terrorist threats.

 

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