The reverberations of Bernard Kerik’s downfall continue. Prosecutors are still smarting over all the leaks—even Rudy Giuliani’s appearance as a witness in their secretive grand-jury hearings made the papers. Barry Kluger, first assistant to Bronx D.A. Robert Johnson, would not confirm the presence of a formal investigation into the leaks but is “concerned” and is now in the process of determining whether any grand-jury leaks rose to “a violation of the law.” That process could mean potentially subpoenaing all involved, including city Department of Investigations commissioner Rose Gill Hearn and her staff, as well as reporters who covered the Kerik case. Meanwhile, Kerik copped to receiving improper gifts, a misdemeanor that let him keep his pistol permit. Kerik’s lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, also managed to get the plea agreement and news conference held on June 30, the Friday before the July 4 holiday, and persuaded the city to remove the Kerik sign from the downtown city jail that bore his name after midnight, so as to avoid prying cameras (it went down overnight that Saturday). “Out of sight, out of mind,” Tacopina says. Mayor Bloomberg’s spokesman Stu Loeser denied that Kerik received special treatment. Next: Catfight at the “Project Runway” Launch Party
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