reality-based educator

Bernie Kerik, former NYPD commissioner/close Giuliani associate, and Jeanine Pirro, former Republican senatorial candidate/current candidate for Attorney General, are in a bit of trouble with the Feds according to WNBC TV:

ALBANY, N.Y. -- NewsChannel 4's Jonathan Dienst has learned Jeanine Pirro, the Republican candidate for New York Attorney General, has been under state and federal criminal investigation.

Dienst reported these allegations center on whether Pirro illegally spied on her own husband, Albert Pirro, while she held the office of the Westchester District Attorney.

The sources said that court authorities wiretapped conversations that appear to show that while preparing for a statewide run for office, Jeanine Pirro was desperate to prove her husband was cheating on her.

She came under the scrutiny of six different law enforcement agencies, including the New York Police Department, the city's Department of Investigation and prosecutors in the Bronx and Westchester.

According to documents now in the hands of several defense attorneys, Pirro and the former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik were apparently talking about planting a hidden device aboard her husband's boat. Her possible motive may have been to see if he was having an affair.

Sources told NewsChannel 4 that in one conversation, Pirro complained that one of Kerik's employees was reluctant to board Albert Pirro's boat.

Jeanine Pirro suggests, "We can just simply say, if there is an issue, that I am redecorating it for our anniversary.” She complains that Kerik’s man is, “uncomfortable with that.”

Kerik responded by saying, “But Jeanine, I’m having the same f------g problem with everybody. Everybody is panic stricken because it’s you. I’ve gone out on a limb. I had two other people looking at this. It’s a problem.”

Pirro said, “What am I supposed to do, Bernie? Watch him f--k her every night? What am I supposed to do? I can go on the boat. I’ll put the f-----g thing on myself.”

Minutes later, Kerik called a contact at Giuliani Partners, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s consulting firm, asking him to find a recording device, according to documents.

Sources said the FBI and Justice Department have been asked to look into whether Pirro and Kerik also might have violated federal laws.

In the wiretapped conversations, Pirro appeared to discuss how her husband’s alleged indiscretions hurt her politically.

Without her husband, sources said she told Kerik, “I move into the governor’s mansion.” That’s an apparent reference to her aspirations for higher office, the documents said.

Lobbyist Albert Pirro was convicted of tax fraud in 2000 and has fathered a child out of wedlock. He was investigated for allegedly leaking information from his wife’s Westchester district attorney's office to the mob, which he has denied. To date, no charges have been brought.

Twice this summer, he has been ticketed for speeding in his Mercedes.

Jeanine Pirro decided not to seek re-election in Westchester, and first put her name in the race for the Senate. However, she dropped out in her bid to go against Sen. Hillary Clinton and switched to the Attorney General’s race.

However, according to documents, when speaking to Kerik in the summer of 2005, Pirro apparently belittled a run the attorney general job, saying it’s a “been there, done that kind of thing.”

Some of the conversations with Kerik were recorded because Kerik’s phone was tapped in 2005, as part of an unrelated corruption probe. Kerik ended up pleading guilty to two misdemeanor charges in June to receiving gifts from a construction firm investigated for having mafia ties.

Pirro currently trails Democrat Andrew Cuomo in the race for attorney general.

As for Kerik, his legal troubles appear to be mounting. NewsChannel 4 has revealed that Kerik remains under investigation for more than $1 million missing from a jail charity when he was city corrections commissioner.

And Pirro wants to be top law enforcement officer in NY State?

Well, I guess if Giuliani can tap a mafia associate to run the NYPD and George Bush can tap him to run the Department of Homeland Security, Republicans can nominate a criminal to be their attorney general candidate.

BTW, I can't remember if it was the NY Daily News or AM New York, but I read this week that Bernie remains quite close to Saint Rudy despite Kerik's legal troubles.

It's nice to see Rudy's so loyal to his former consilgiere.