Israeli industrialist Eitan Wertheimer is identified as the source of a $250,000 loan to Rudy Giuliani protege Bernard Kerik, alleged tax evader and alleged commiter of fraud, and the middleman a New York businessman named Shimon Cohen, in this Times story.
As reporter William Rashbaum points out, the businessmen -- neither accused of wrongdoing -- were described anonymously as John Does in the recent federal indictment against the former New York police commissioner. After Cohen was interviewed by city investigators in 2005, Kerik repaid the loan with interest, according to the story. A lingering question: Why would Cohen, described as a pal of Kerik, front the loan for Wertheimer as opposed to a direct transaction? Another question: Where did Kerik, who investigators portray as chronically in search of cash, get the funds to pay back the loan? Wertheimer is described in the indicment as having done business with the federal government.
Dan Janison
Comments (2)
OK once again let's point all of you in the right direction so we can finally put these slime balls behind bars where they belong. (They = Kerik et al). This whole affair has more twists and turns than a cab ride in Hong Kong at rush hour. Would somebody go back to the Serra case and look at the "Berman" who paid him $20,000 for "political consultant work" on a failed democratic primary bid back in 2000 or 2001. Would this be the same "Berman"? Just as a refresher Serra was a Chief at the NYC Correction Department who got his rank by getting volunteers to work on election day for several years. He used CO's to work on his house and he billed the state republican committee $233,000 for the services of these volunteers but never paid them. Did Serra kick back some of his illegal $$$ to Kerik. Serra is still on probation after doing fed time for this. why doesn't someone go down to Bradonton Florida and get the truth out him.
FOLLOW THE MONEY$$$!!!