9/11 Hero and Former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik Dies at 69 After Private Illness Battle

2025-05-30 12:00:37.272

Bernard Kerik, New York City's police commissioner on September 11, 2001, and later a convicted tax fraudster who received a presidential pardon, has died at the age of 69. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that Kerik passed away on Thursday following an unspecified illness. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who had a long-standing relationship with Kerik, spoke emotionally about their history, describing Kerik as a brother and stating that he was a better, braver, and stronger person for knowing him. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, also a former NYPD officer, confirmed that he had visited Kerik at the hospital earlier that day. Kerik, an Army veteran, was initially hailed as a hero after 9/11 and was even nominated to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. However, his career took a dramatic turn, leading to a prison sentence. In 2009, he pleaded guilty to tax fraud, making false statements, and other charges stemming from apartment renovations he received from a construction firm with alleged organized crime ties. The judge at his sentencing noted that Kerik committed some of these crimes while serving as the chief law enforcement officer of New York City. President Donald Trump pardoned Kerik in 2020. Kerik's background included serving in the Army as a military policeman, working private security in Saudi Arabia, supervising a New Jersey jail, and leading New York City's troubled jail system before becoming police commissioner. After 9/11, he was at Giuliani's side and played a significant role in the city's response. He later worked to organize Iraq's police force and was nominated for Homeland Security Secretary before withdrawing his nomination due to concerns about a housekeeper's immigration status. Following his conviction, Kerik founded a consulting firm and later worked with Giuliani again.