Way back in June, Time’s David Von Drehle asked
an interesting question: “How many alleged criminals can a law-and-order
candidate be associated with before it starts to hurt?” The question,
of course, was in reference to Rudy Giuliani, after Thomas Ravenel,
the chairman of Giuliani’s presidential campaign in South Carolina,
was indicted on cocaine distribution charges, which, of course, came
on the heels of revelations about Giuliani’s connections with
Bernard Kerik.
But Von Drehle posed the question far too early — the number
of alleged criminals with close ties to Giuliani has gone up considerably
since then. Ben Smith has the latest.
A prominent Texas Republican has sued Rudy Giuliani’s law firm
and a close friend and partner of Giuliani’s, Kenneth Caruso,
alleging that Caruso, the firm and others “schemed and conspired
to steal $10 million.”
J. Virgil Waggoner, a Houston businessman and philanthropist, filed
the previously unreported suit in New York State Supreme Court in
Manhattan in July. He alleges that Caruso, his former lawyer, conspired
with Waggoner’s investment adviser to cover up the disappearance
of $10 million Waggoner invested through a Caribbean bank, the British
Trade & Commerce Bank.
Waggoner claims Caruso “may have also been romantically involved”
with the investment adviser.
The Caribbean bank was shut down
after its handling of Waggoner’s investment came to light, and
its president was later jailed for money laundering.
As Greg Sargent added, “In this case, Caruso isn’t just
a business partner — he’s a close friend of the Mayor who
worked on his mayoral campaigns and even advised him when he was diagnosed
with prostate cancer.”
If it were just Caruso were the only controversial character close
to Giuliani, it’d be far easier to cut the former mayor some slack.
But I’ve been keeping a list of these associates, and it’s
getting pretty long.
* Giuliani inexplicably backed Bernie Kerik, and made him the city’s
police commissioner, after he’d been briefed on Kerik’s
organized crime connections.
* Thomas Ravenel, the chairman of Giuliani’s presidential campaign
in South Carolina, was indicted on cocaine distribution charges.
* Arthur Ravenel, the replacement chairman of Giuliani’s presidential
campaign in South Carolina, has characterized the NAACP as the “National
Association for Retarded People,” and has an unusual fondness
for the Confederate battle flag.
* Alan Placa was accused by a grand jury report of sexually abusing
children, as well as helping cover up the sexual abuse of children by
other priests. Giuliani then put Placa, his life-long friend, on the
payroll of Giuliani Partners. (Adds Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director
of BishopAccountability.org, which tracks suspected priest abuse, “I
think Rudy Giuliani has to account for his friendship with a credibly
accused child molester.”)
* Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), the family-values conservative caught
up in a prostitution ring, was not only Giuliani’s top Senate
backer, he was also the regional chairman of Giuliani’s campaign.
I’ve never seen a presidential candidate have this much bad luck,
in such a short period of time, in picking the wrong people to be associated
with.
