Where to, Miz Rudeeeeeh?
(So as to not over-lengthen the previous main post, I'm posting this tasty addition here)
It would appear that they're starting to wear the handles off all of those heavy, old Transfile boxes in the city's musty back offices. The digging has begun in earnest—and lo and behold...truffles!
Via Atrios:
Well before it was publicly known he was seeing her, then-married New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani provided a police driver and city car for his mistress Judith Nathan, former senior city officials tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com.
"She used the PD as her personal taxi service," said one former city official who worked for Giuliani.
I'm working on a long-form post about the culture that spawned Rudy and his slimy New York compatriots Kerik and Regan, but this tidbit breaking today ties in nicely with what I'm putting together. Rudy was part of the outcast class, with nary a drop of cool or slickness. And when he ascended to power in the faux-competency crazed 80's, his social ineptitude left him ill-able to deal with simple deceits like this one. “To the man with only a hammer, everything is a nail” Giuliani's way has always been to swing the hammer of power, with little subtlety.
He wanted to impress his new goumada, but instead of considering something that down the road a piece wouldn't draw bean-counter scrutiny, he went sloppy and obvious.
“I'll getcha a city car and a cop! The city's your oyster, baby! Speaking of oysters...”
What makes this revelation hurt is the exposé of more abuse of the NYPD as his personal ass-coverers/chickie impressers.
And that abuse of police and government cars really sets New Yorkers off.
The state's comptroller was forced to resign over a near exact scandal a year ago:
Chauffeurgate/Driving Mrs. Hevesi Scandal
On September 21, 2006, Alan Hevesi admitted that he used Nicholas Acquafredda as a state employee to drive around his wife. In 2003, Hevesi claims that the State Ethics Commission decided that he would pay back the entire cost of driving around his wife unless it is for specific safety purposes. A spokesperson from the State Ethics Commission denies such a decision was made.
On September 26, 2006, Hevesi said he will pay the state more than $82,000 for having a public employee chauffeur his wife, after his Republican challenger, Christopher Callaghan, asked the Albany County District Attorney's office to investigate. Callaghan first phoned in the complaint to the State Comptroller's own State funds-abuse/fraud hotline. Hevesi had admitted the previous week that he had not reimbursed the state. Callaghan and the Republican gubernatorial nominee ,John Faso, also called for Hevesi's resignation. The Attorney General (and at that time Democratic gubernatorial nominee), Eliot Spitzer, withdrew his endorsement of Hevesi.
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On December 12, 2006, Hevesi agreed to a deal that calls for the $90,000 in escrow money to be turned over to the state and for him to pay an additional $33,605 within 10 days, making his payback total $206,000. It was revealed that Hevesi had actually hired four, not the two employees initially thought for his wife's 'security detail' and said employees were running personal errands according to the report from the Attorney General Office.
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On December 14, 2006, the Albany County District Attorney acknowledged that he had a strong enough case to indict Hevesi (see beginning of page for judicial resolution).
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On December 22, 2006, CNN reported that "[N]ew York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi entered into a plea agreement which included his immediate resignation Friday to avoid a felony indictment by a New York State grand jury charging him with defrauding the government by having staffers drive his wife and assist her in with personal matters from 2003-2006. Hevesi pleaded guilty to Superior Court Filing of defrauding the government, a Class E felony, and will pay a $5,000 fine. Hevesi admitted the wrongdoing when allegations surfaced in November, and has repaid the state more than $200,000."
See, we just got through that stuff with a statewide official—elected in November, resigned in December. The difference is that Hevesi had sympathy from the citizens because of his wife's condition. She was a survivor of three suicide attempts as well a sufferer of debilitating mental illness. It was generally admitted that Hevesi did what he did to have someone keep a constaant eye on her. (He arrived home one day and had to break down a bathroom door to save her after sh'ed slit her wrists)
Judith Nathan is in no such shape. And Rudy's assigning her not just a city driver—BUT A POLICE DRIVER, well...what was it the ABC article's former city official sources said?
“She used the PD as her personal taxi service," said one former city official who worked for Giuliani.”
While she flitted to Bendel's for fittings and Nobu for a light sup? While you were married, Rudy? On the city's dime?
Oh, my.
Someone really oughtta get those fellas in those dusty downtown backrooms some trusses. There's a ton of records boxes being dug through down there these days, and I'd really, really hate to see anyone get hurt.
Well...almost anyone, that is. :)
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