Previous New York Police Commissioner and 9/11 warrior Bernard Kerik, 69, passed away, according to a news release from the New York Police Department on Thursday via social media. FBI Director Kash Patel also paid tribute, saying,” Bernie passed away painfully on May 29, 2025, after a personal struggle with condition.” He referred to Kerik as” a hero, a patriot, and one of the most defensible public servants this nation has ever known.” Patel continued,” He was decorated more than 100 days for courage, courage, and support, having saved patients from burning buildings, survived death attempts, and brought some of the world’s most dangerous criminals to justice.” His reputation is not just in the medals or titles, but rather in the lives he saved, the town he helped recover, and the country he fought for with honor, Patel said. Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, recalled their long-standing relationship on” The Rudy Giuliani Show.” He stated,” We’ve been together since the outset. He is similar to my nephew. ” Bernie knew me better than I did. Giuliani continued,” I was undoubtedly a braver and more powerful man.”
Bernard Kerik, who was he?
Kerik left great institution in Newark, New Jersey, but earned a Diploma before enlisting in the US Army. He was born in 1955. He pursued a career in law enforcement after serving in the military, gradually rising through the ranks. Kerik rose to national prominence after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when he was appointed by Giuliani as police commissioner and coordinated disaster comment work alongside Giuliani following the collapse of the World Trade Center. Over the course of his 35-year career, Kerik has won more than 100 honors for worthy and noble service, including two Distinguished Service Awards from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and two National Commendations for bravery from former President Ronald Reagan. In 2010, Kerik was found guilty of a charge of false statements and federal tax fraud related to the funding of more than$ 250, 000 in apartment renovations by a construction company. He was released in 2013 after serving a three-year jail sentence. Donald Trump granted him a pardon in 2020. Kerik eventually worked with Giuliani to investigate allegations of election fraud after the 2020 elections, both as a vociferous critic of the criminal justice system and a staunch Trump supporter. According to Fox News, he was also asked to testify before the House commission looking into the Capitol protests on January 6.