Former New York Police Commissioner Withdraws From Homeland Security Secretary Consideration

The White House choice for the next homeland security secretary, former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, said Friday he could not take the job because a former employee may have been an illegal immigrant, according to the Los Angeles Times (see GSN, Dec. 3).

“I uncovered information that now leads me to question the immigration status of a person who had been in my employ as a housekeeper and nanny,” Kerik said in a statement. “It has also been brought to my attention that for a period of time during such employment required tax payments and related filings had not been made.”

Among the other people mentioned to replace Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, according to the Times, are House Select Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Christopher Cox (R-Calif.), Homeland Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson and White House homeland security adviser Frances Townsend (Vieth/Chen, Los Angeles Times, Dec. 11).

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