Rudy Giuliani in Higher Loyalty, by James Comey

On Crime: Top priority in 1990s NYC was organized crime

One of Giuliani's top priorities was organized crime, a focus that actually started well before he took office. His prosecutors brought cases against individual mob bosses like Salerno and also charged the leaders of the five Cosa Nostra families who sat on "the Commission", which divided up criminal money among the families and refereed disputes. Most important, Rudy's office brought civil cases to allow the government to take control of large trade unions-the Teamsters, electricians, carpenters, and dock workers among them- to starve the Mafia of its major source of cash and influence, which came from using unions to extort money from legitimate businesses. That successful effort to destroy La Cosa Nostra continued long after Rudy stepped down as United states Attorney to run for political office. Source: A Higher Loyalty, by James Comey, p. 21-22 Apr 17, 2018

On Crime: 1983: Indicted Mark Rich; 2001: Clinton pardoned Rich

In 1983 oil trader Marc Rich had been indicted for 65 criminal counts by then-US Attorney Rudy Giuliani. Among the counts were income tax evasion, wire fraud racketeering, and trading with Iran. Rich fled the US shortly before the indictment (then the biggest tax evasion cases in US history). He was given safe haven in Switzerland , which refused to extradite him for what the Swiss considered tax crimes.

Nearly two decades later, on his final day in office, President Clinton had issued Rich a highly unusual pardon. It was unusual because the pardon was given to a fugitive, which was, to my knowledge, unprecedented.

Amid allegations the pardon had been issued in exchange for promises of contributions by Marc Rich's ex-wife to Clinton's presidential library, [Rudy Giuliani's office] opened an investigation focused on whether the was evidence of corrupt bargain. When I became US Attorney in 2002, I inherited the investigation, which had been the subject of media stories.

Source: A Higher Loyalty, by James Comey, p.159-60 Apr 17, 2018

On Principles & Values: OpEd: Dangerous to stand between Rudy and a microphone

There was an unwritten code working in the [1990s] office of Rudy Giuliani: the message was that Rudy was the star at the top of the successes of the office flowed in his direction. You violated this code at your peril. Giuliani had extraordinary confidence. I loved it that my boss was on magazine covers standing on the courthouse steps with his hands on his hips, as if he ruled the world. It fired me up. Prosecutors almost never saw the great man in person, so I was especially pumped when he stopped by my office early in my career.

My supervisor told me I was supposed to stand behind the podium while Giuliani, the NYPD commissioner, and the head of the FBI's New York office spoke to the press. I was not under any circumstances, to speak or move. He then repeated a line I had heard before: "The most dangerous place in New York was between Rudy and the microphone." I stood frozen in the back, looking like an extra from a basketball movie who had wondered on to the wrong set.

Source: A Higher Loyalty, by James Comey, p. 19-21 Apr 17, 2018

The above quotations are from Higher Loyalty Truth, Lies, and Leadership by James Comey. Click here for main summary page. Click here for a profile of Rudy Giuliani. Click here for Rudy Giuliani on all issues.
*Rudy Giuliani on other issues:*
Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families Foreign Policy Free Trade	Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Jobs Principles/Values Social Security Tax Reform Technology/Infrastructure War/Iraq/Mideast Welfare/Poverty
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org! Click for details -- or send donations to: 1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140 E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org (We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Oct 10, 2018