Throwing the Book at Him
The federal investigation of Bernard Kerik, former New York police commissioner and Rudy Giuliani sidekick, appears to be edging toward a denouement. But legal sources familiar with the inquiry, who asked for anonymity when discussing an ongoing investigation, say that news reports suggesting Kerik could face indictment as early as next month may be premature. Kerik has agreed with prosecutors to extend the statute of limitations for investigating his 2000 tax return until Nov. 15, and he could agree to extend it further. Over the next month, Kerik's lawyer, Kenneth Breen, expects to meet with federal prosecutors in New York and tax-division officials at Justice Department headquarters in Washington. The principal issue: does the evidence justify criminal tax charges, or could the case be resolved, like many other tax cases, with a civil settlement?
The investigation into Kerik began in 2004 after ethics questions derailed his nomination as U.S. Homeland Security secretary. A few months later, New York investigators subpoenaed publisher HarperCollins for records relating to two books Kerik had produced, including his autobiography, "Lost Son." Days after serving the publisher with the subpoena, according to confidential investigative documents examined by NEWSWEEK, city gumshoes interviewed Judith Regan, the HarperCollins editor who handled Kerik's autobiography and was also briefly his girlfriend. The Feds are looking at "all income and expenditure items" reported by Kerik in 2000, and his book dealings are part of this examination, a legal source said. HarperCollins general counsel Chris Goff had no comment. Breen wrote in a statement, "If the prosecutors … make the fateful decision to charge Bernie Kerik, we will fight it in court, and he will win." A legal source noted that the longer Kerik tries to persuade prosecutors not to charge him, the more likely it is that a federal indictment could come at a particularly awkward moment: right in the middle of Giuliani's campaign for president.
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Mark Hosenball joined Newsweek as an investigative correspondent in November 1993, covering a range of issues for the National Affairs department. Most recently, he has written and reported numerous stories on terrorism and the Sept. 11 attacks on America. He has also covered campaign finance, the Monica Lewinsky controversy, the death of Princess Diana, Whitewater, the crashes of EgyptAir flight 990 and TWA flight 800, as well as related air safety issues.
Hosenball came to Newsweek from "Dateline NBC," where he worked as an investigative producer. He also worked extensively as a print journalist, writing for a number of British and American publications, including the London Sunday Times, the London Evening Standard, Time Out, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The New Republic. In addition, he has done commentaries for American Public Radio.
Hosenball has been honored with a number of prestigious awards. Most recently, along with a team of Newsweek correspondents, he was awarded the Overseas Press Club's most prestigious honor, the 2002 Ed Cunningham Memorial Award for best magazine reporting from abroad for Newsweek's coverage of the war on terror. His reporting and that of his colleagues earned Newsweek the prestigious National Magazine Award for General Excellence in 2002 for its coverage of September 11 and its aftermath. And a story he co-authored was highlighted in a citation Newsweek received by the White House Correspondents' Association when it awarded the magazine the 2002 Edgar A. Poe Award for "excellence on a story of national or regional importance. "Newsweek's September 11 coverage started long before the attacks. An article in the magazine's February 19, 2001 issue warned with chilling accuracy: 'The threat posed by (Osama) bin Laden is growing -- and coming ever closer to home."
Hosenball was a contributor to the CANAL + TV documentary, "L'Argent de la Drogue" (Drug Money), which was awarded the "Sept D'Or," the French equivalent of an Emmy. He also contributed to NBC News' coverage of the BCCI scandal, which earned a 1991 Peabody Award.
He attended the University of Pennsylvania and Trinity College in Dublin. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his wife and son.
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