Bernard Kerik
Bernard Bailey “Bernie” Kerik (born September 4, 1955) is an American former police officer, convicted felon, and consultant who served as New York City Police Commissioner from 2000 to 2001. Kerik was born in Newark, New Jersey. He served in the United States Army from 1974 to 1977 before working various law enforcement jobs in the United States and abroad. Joining the New York Police Department (NYPD) in 1986, Kerik is most well known for his time at the NYPD and New York City Department of Correction, as he served in commissioner positions for both agencies in the city. For his service as a New York City police officer, Kerik earned numerous awards and also is credited for helping reduce crime in New York City as police commissioner. Kerik’s tenure as police commissioner included overseeing the police response to the September 11 attacks in 2001. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, President George W. Bush appointed Kerik as the interior minister of the Iraqi Coalition Provisional Authority. In 2004, Bush nominated Kerik to be the head of the Department of Homeland Security. However, Kerik soon withdrew his nomination, explaining that he had employed an illegal immigrant as a nanny. In 2006 Kerik pleaded guilty to two unrelated ethics violations after an investigation by the Office of the Bronx District Attorney and was ordered to pay $221,000. In 2009 Kerik pleaded guilty before U.S. federal prosecutors to 8 charges including criminal conspiracy, tax fraud, and lying under oath. Kerik was sentenced to four years in federal prison on February 18, 2010.