Bernard Kerik May Be In Serious Hot Water

Bernard Kerik, who was a former NYPD Commissioner under Rudy Giuliani (R-NYC) and who was tabbed to become head of the federal Department of Homeland Security before questions arose over his conduct and personal dealings, is now about to be in real hot water.

Federal prosecutors are about to indict Kerik on a wide range of charges:

Bernard Kerik's legal nightmare is about to get worse, with federal prosecutors expected to file charges against the former police commissioner that will likely include allegations of bribery, tax fraud and obstruction of justice, the Daily News has learned.

The indictment, expected next month, could prove to be an embarrassing obstacle for Kerik's former mentor Rudy Giuliani, who is cruising at the top of the polls heading into the presidential primary gauntlet.

The bribery allegations against Kerik stem from a secret meeting at a bar in Tribeca, according to two sources familiar with the federal probe.

Kerik's lawyers recently agreed to waive the statute of limitations on the tax charges until Nov. 17, which will allow them to make one last plea to try to ease the pain.

Kerik will go to the Justice Department in Washington in the coming weeks to try to get expected criminal tax charges reduced to civil fines.

All this may come back to hit Rudy hard as Kerik was very closely aligned with Rudy and it may affect Rudy's chances in 2008.

UPDATE:
It will be interesting to compare and contrast the press coverage of Hillary and her advisor, the malfeasant Sandy Berger, and Rudy and his soon to be indicted former Commish and confidant Bernard Kerik.

I don't think I'd be going out on a limb when I say that the negative stories will really flow against Rudy, ignoring Berger's serious violations of national security and theft/destruction of classified documents that has never been fully explained and whose sentence was lame compared to the seriousness of the crime.

This is not to absolve Kerik of criminal behavior at all. He deserves to do the time, if found guilty, but Berger's criminality included theft and destruction of classified documents relating to 9/11. Clinton apparently has no problem bringing such an individual into her closest circle of advisors, which speaks volumes about her own morals and values.