Giuliani's Mayoralty Shrouded In Secrecy

GOP Hopeful Left City Hall In 2001 With Records Meant For Public Release

(AP)  When a mayor of New York leaves office, little goes out the door but memories - unless he's Rudy Giuliani.

Government rules discourage the city's most powerful officeholder from departing with more than token gifts collected on the job. Ed Koch, mayor from 1978 to 1989, recalls keeping some neckties. His successor, David Dinkins, walked away with knickknacks from his desk, including a crystal tennis ball and a collection of photographs documenting his meetings with celebrities and business icons.

When Giuliani stepped down, he needed a warehouse.

Under an unprecedented agreement that didn't become public until after he left office, Giuliani secreted out of City Hall the written, photographic and electronic record of his eight years in office - more than 2,000 boxes.

Along with his own files, the trove included the official records of Giuliani's deputy mayors, his chief of staff, his travel office and Gracie Mansion - the mayor's residence that became a legal battlefront during his caustic divorce.

The mayor made famous - and very wealthy - in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks has long described his City Hall as an open book.

In a Republican presidential candidates' debate last week, Giuliani asserted: "My government in New York City was so transparent that they knew every single thing I did almost every time I did it. ... I can't think of a public figure that's had a more transparent life than I've had."

But the public record, as reviewed by The Associated Press, shows a City Hall that had a reputation of resistance - even hostility - toward open government, the First Amendment and the public's access to simple facts and figures.

"He ran a government as closed as he could make it," said attorney Floyd Abrams, a widely recognized First Amendment authority who faced off against city lawyers when Giuliani sought to shut the Brooklyn Museum of Art because the mayor considered a painting sacrilegious.

Giuliani's decision to commandeer his historical records in late 2001, as he prepared to leave office, was just one of many episodes during his term, both in and out of the courtroom, that demonstrate his efforts to control, withhold or massage information to advance his agenda and hobble critics.

The litany of questions Giuliani has faced in recent weeks about undisclosed business clients and furtive billing practices for police security during trysts with then-girlfriend Judith Nathan are reminiscent of the dozens of lawsuits filed by news organizations to obtain public records, of the numerous state Freedom of Information Law requests that nonprofits like the Coalition for the Homeless were forced to file, of access to City Hall steps denied to protesters.

At times, the number of working water fountains in city parks was hard to ascertain without making a formal request. Under Giuliani, it became more difficult to determine the number of complaints filed against the city's home care program, the number of firearms discharged by police and the number of inspectors in the housing and buildings departments. Even details about the city's recycling program were hard to come by.

In a statement issued through the campaign, former Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro said Giuliani "ran an open and transparent administration," made himself available to the press daily, frequently participated in town hall meetings and released information about city services and the budget on a regular basis.

"Indeed, there was probably no elected official in this country who made himself as available to the press and public as Rudy Giuliani did when he was mayor of New York City," Mastro said. "Nitpicking aside, Rudy Giuliani ran a government based on the need for openness and transparency. These are basic principles Rudy will govern by and enforce from the top down as president of the United States."

Since 9/11, Giuliani has frequently cited security concerns as a rationale for secrecy. But history shows that he operated a secretive administration long before the jetliners knifed into the World Trade Center towers.

"Mayor Giuliani was in many respects a good mayor, but in regard to First Amendment-related matters, he is surely the worst in living memory," Abrams said in an interview.

More than two dozen lawsuits were filed during Giuliani's mayoralty accusing his administration of stifling free speech or blocking access to public records. The city lost most of the lawsuits, including fights against the state comptroller, the city public advocate and the city's Independent Budget Office. Giuliani often blamed such battles on political enemies.

In his time in office, determining how many police were on the beat became more difficult to ascertain. Critics of the mayor were sometimes denied use of public property to hold events.

Advocacy and oversight groups long accustomed to easily obtaining information about city services and finances - the Citizens Budget Commission and the Women's City Club among them - were required to file freedom of information requests for documents, often resulting in months of delays and added legal costs.

In a slap at Giuliani's City Hall, a judge in one such case wrote bluntly, "The law provides for maximum access, not maximum withholding."

[coolprophet]

GIULIANI GIVES AID TO AL QAEDA
How much exactly would it cost to get Rudy Giuliani to holster his overdone 9/11 sanctimony? The government for the tiny Persian Gulf nation of Qatar might have a good idea. A recent article by Mary Jacoby of the Wall Street Journal sheds light on some potentially problematic sources of Giuliani''s private income. Chief among them is Qatar, the U.S. ally that paid Giuliani''s consulting firm, Giuliani Partners for "security advice" regarding their petroleum facilities. The article uncovers a "potential political pitfall" for Giuliani''s candidacy and image given Qatar''s poor record in fighting Al Qaeda, and addresses aspects of the business arrangement that could dog Giuliani during his quest for the presidency. Specifically, the ostensible chief consumer of Giuliani''s security advice in this case was Qatar''s Internal Security Ministry, currently headed by a known Al Qaeda associate. As reported earlier this year, Qatar Interior Minister Abdullah bin Khalid Al-Thani has long had ties to top Al Qaeda operatives including Osama Bin Laden, and is believed by many U.S. officials to have personally arranged the narrow escape of Al Qaeda big-wig Khalid Sheikh Mohammed from U.S. agents in 1996, thereby ensuring his freedom to mastermind the 9/11 attacks. Giuliani has refused to release specifics of the case. youtube.com/watch?v=JIPc6wHAO28

[tessies101]

Giuliani is doing so poorly in this race, it''s pathetic. 2000 boxes of secretive documents possibly, who knows it could have been pornography, now wouldn''t that be rich...isn''t Guiliani the one with the endorsement from the Christian guy Robertson...LOL

[abbe91]

2000 boxes ... I wonder when some right wing nut will come up with Sandy Berger. LOL.

[mcvet]

The **** looking to make sure nothing happens to slick''''s and her''''s records ...

calls in Larry the Lizard and Lulu Dobbs to announce she plans to preserve them in concrete.

Harry Smith, a double for Senator Craig, sought out Sandy Berger for other records to preserve. Patted pants etc.




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Posted by stonebog1 at 09:34 PM : Dec 20, 2007
+ report abuse

Now this is your Average Republican TODAY! ROFLMAO NOTHING and I repeat NOTHING this poor simple minded Nazi says either makes any sense or has any connection to the issue at hand. ROFLMAO No wonder they vote for Toe Tappers! Sieg Heil Bush!!

[mcvet]

Hillary and Rudy are like the same person but in different bodies. That campaign would be nasty.

Go Obama


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Posted by jedi08 at 03:40 AM : Dec 21, 2007
+ report abuse

Please do NOT do what you did and then raise the Name of the fine Senator from Illinois! Do be a flaming NAZI and pretend to support someone who holds democracy at it''s highest level. Ms. Clinton was investigated and a COMPLETE Witch Hunt conducted against her by the fascist. NOTHING and I repeat NOTHING was found. To continue to be dishonest is to continue to play the games of Southern Fascist! Sieg Heil Bush!!

[rowdytexan2]

The man is corrupt on an equal par with Mr.''s Bush and Cheney. He used the mafia to control NYC, while Bush uses terrorists to control the US and do his dirty work in the middle east.

We need somebody who can protect us from this kind of ***, not indulge themselves in it. These guy are vultures!

[jedi08]

Hillary and Rudy are like the same person but in different bodies. That campaign would be nasty.

Go Obama

[coolprophet]

CLINTON LETS BUSH PARDON HIMSELF
Buried deep inside Military Commisions Act, which was FULLY SUPPORTED by Senators Clinton, Obama and McCain, is a provision which pre-pardons President Bush and all the members of his administration for any crimes which they may have committed all the way back to September 11, 2001. Why that far back? That kind of makes you wonder. Huh? I can''t help but recall what Nixon said during an interview following the Watergate scandal when he said, "If the President does it, by definition, it''s not illegal." History never repeats itself, folks. It only rhymes. At least Nixon had enough class to wait for another President to pardon him for his crimes against our country. Bush apparently doesn''t want to take that chance. He has to consider the risk that Ron Paul will become our next President.

[sgtrds]

The only thing about him that''s not a secret is that he''s an incredibly sleazy and corrupt politician, even for a republican! We''re just finishing up 7 years of an incredibly sleazy and corrupt republican administration that''s robbing us blind. We don''t need to elect another one!

[b-easy63]

Lord Knows....we don''t need another Bush and Cheney road show. NO Republicans before 20048. Only then can we withstand and forgive the re-emergence of their 40 year swarm and devour type of politics. (40 year locusts) They should only return to power when all who knew of their corruption and facism are long dead and those left cannot remember these times..... LOL

[coolprophet]

GIULIANI MISUSING 9/11 LEGACY
Hundreds of FDNY Firefighters and family members of people who died during the 9/11 tragedy have formed a group known as 9/11 Firefighters and Families. The group intends to follow Guiliani around the country in an effort to inform the public that Rudolph Giuliani is not a hero. The head of the group, FDNY Fire Chief Jim Riches, recently told MSNBC, "We are going to follow him around and tell the true story of what happened on 9/11 because he seems to have declared himself ''Mr. 9/11'' and I disagree with him for many reasons. We want to let the public know that Rudy Giulliani is not ''Mr. 9/11''. He''s not a hero. He ran that day." When asked if he felt that his views reflect those of the majority of FDNY Firefighters, Riches said, "Well I can tell you. I''m an active Chief and I work in the fire house, and you''ll hear a four letter word after his name, and it''s not ''hero''... He failed us on many counts. We didn''t have radios that worked that day. We had no unified command. We had no inter-agency drills. We didn''thave OEM, which was incompotent and useless that day. We had self-evacuation requests, and people were being told to stay in place right up until the second tower fell... all of his commisioners in there were either incompotent or unqualified. He made a Fireman the Fire Commisioner, a Police Officer the Police Commissioner, and OEM Director who was a Fire Dispatcher, and they made decisions that day that were fatal." TheRealRudy.org

[taylpatr]

How Republican!He''s sliding along in the same slime trail his buddy W. has left across the political landscape.What we need is a giant bag of salt to sprinkle on these slugs before they infest the whole garden.

[rowdytexan2]

Too bad the Neocon''s prize rat is being scumbled before he gets elected.

This is just what we need...more of the same!

[dmgenet]

This guy seems more and more suspicious. The 911 scenario he used to kick off his Presidential campaign should have been the tip off. Obviously there are still frightened little rabbits that will follow anyone who waves the boogie man in front of their face.

This Bush-alike campaign is frankly frightening and anyone who votes for this Republican is taking their countries future into the past. AGAIN.

Bush was stupid enough to trust his alleged neo-con friends with their "intelligence" reports. Giuliani will use the Bush legacy to further his search for more power. Don''t trust this man.

[coolprophet]

GIULIANI GIVES AID TO AL QAEDA
How much exactly would it cost to get Rudy Giuliani to holster his
overdone 9/11 sanctimony? The government for the tiny Persian Gulf
nation of Qatar might have a good idea. A recent article by Mary Jacoby
of the Wall Street Journal sheds light on some potentially problematic
sources of Giuliani''s private income. Chief among them is Qatar, the
U.S. ally that paid Giuliani''s consulting firm, Giuliani Partners for
"security advice" regarding their petroleum facilities. The article
uncovers a "potential political pitfall" for Giuliani''s candidacy and
image given Qatar''s poor record in fighting Al Qaeda, and addresses
aspects of the business arrangement that could dog Giuliani during his
quest for the presidency. Specifically, the ostensible chief consumer
of Giuliani''s security advice in this case was Qatar''s Internal
Security Ministry, currently headed by a known Al Qaeda associate. As
reported earlier this year, Qatar Interior Minister Abdullah bin Khalid
Al-Thani has long had ties to top Al Qaeda operatives including Osama
Bin Laden, and is believed by many U.S. officials to have personally
arranged the narrow escape of Al Qaeda big-wig Khalid Sheikh Mohammed from U.S. agents in 1996, thereby ensuring his freedom to mastermind
the 9/11 attacks. Giuliani has refused to release specifics of the
case. youtube.com/watch?v=JIPc6wHAO28