Bernard Kerik

Bernard Bailey Kerik (September 4, 1955 – May 29, 2025) was an American politician, consultant and police officer. He was the 40th Commissioner of the New York Police Department from 2000 to 2001, during which he oversaw the police response to the September 11 attacks.

Kerik was known for having two extramarital affairs while as commissioner, using a Battery Park City apartment that had been set aside for first responders at Ground Zero.

After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, President George W. Bush picked Kerik as the interior minister of the Iraqi Coalition Provisional Authority. In 2004, Bush nominated Kerik to be the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. However, Kerik soon withdrew his candidacy, because he hired an undocumented immigrant as a nanny.

In 2009, Kerik pleaded guilty to eight federal felony charges for tax fraud and making false statements. In February 2010, he was sentenced to four years in federal prison, of which he served three years.

In 2020, Kerik received a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump for his federal convictions for tax fraud, ethics violations, and criminal false statements. After the 2020 presidential election, Kerik supported President Trump's false claims of voter fraud and tried to help overturn the election results.

Kerik died on May 29, 2025 at a hospital in New York City at the age of 69. He was being treated for heart disease and skin cancer at the time of his death.

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Category:1955 births
Category:2025 deaths
Category:American police officers
Category:American political commentators
Category:American fraudsters
Category:Criminals from New York City
Category:Politicians from New York City
Category:Politicians from Newark, New Jersey
Category:Republican Party (United States) politicians
Category:September 11 attacks
Category:Deaths from cardiovascular disease
Category:Deaths from skin cancer
Category:Cancer deaths in New York City