This Could Have Been Our Homeland Security Secretary

When New York tough guy Bernard Kerik suddenly withdrew his nomination for Homeland Security secretary back in December, he gave a suspicious reason; possible tax problems with his family’s nanny.

President George W. Bush had nominated the high school dropout and former head of New York City’s police to the post thanks, in great part, to the pull of former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. The so-called nanny story didn’t really make sense and now we know why.

It turns out that Kerik accepted tens of thousands of dollars from mob-linked contractors attempting to influence his actions as a public figure back when he was New York City correction commissioner and later police commissioner (New York Newsday).

Court papers filed by the New Jersey state Division of Gaming Enforcement document Kerik’s ties to a contracter, Peter DiTommaso, who evidently has big-time mob ties (Newsmax). Investigators say that DiTommaso has close ties to the notorious Gambino and DeCavalcante crime families.