A Giuliani Flip-Flop on Pardons

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 10:20:26 AM EST
Tags: Rudy Giuliani (all tags)

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Here's Rudy Giuliani in 2001 on the pardon of Marc Rich:

MAYOR RUDOLPH GIULIANI, New York: Well, I'm shocked that the President of the United States would pardon him. After all, he never paid a price. He got on an airplane, took all his records, and ran off to Zug, Switzerland, where he's remained a fugitive, and has made untold efforts to try to get the charges reduced, including many, many overtures and entreaties based on the use of influence.

Here's Giuliani now on the commutation of Scooter Libby:

"After evaluating the facts, the president came to a reasonable decision, and I believe the decision was correct," Giuliani said in a written statement Monday evening.

Did he forget that Scooter Libby hasn't paid a price yet? At least Marc Rich proceeded within the system and "made untold efforts to try to get the charges reduced." He even had Scooter Libby representing him in those endeavors.

It should be noted that Giuliani indicted Rich in 1983. Benji Sarlin at TPM's Election Central has more.

More...

On other Giuliani matters, The Boston Globe reports that people are beginning to wake up to relentless Rudy's milking of the 9/11 teat.

And Joe Biden sounds hungry.Raw Story reports after referring to President Bush as "brain dead" he says of Giuliani:

"I can hardly wait to debate Rudy Giuliani if he is their nominee,” he said. “Because I will eat his lunch."

Mitch Romney takes a flip-flop hit on pardons as well.

< Fred Thompson as Nixon Mole | A Warning for Pain Management Physicians >

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A Giuliani Flip-Flop on Pardons | 12 comments (12 topical)

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more giuliani quotes... (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by lawstudent on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 12:46:47 PM EST

All on Marc Rich

Larry King Weekend, 5/27/01

"A pardon happens when a person has done their time, paid their dues to society, and allegedly straightened themselves out. This man just ran away."

"I think pardons are a good thing. I think they do indicate when people have paid their price to society, straightened themselves out . . . . "

Hmm...how exactly has Scooter done his time and paid his price to society?

NY Post, 2/19/01

Following Clinton's op-ed in defense of Marc Rich's pardon: "I would say the Op-Ed piece raises more questions than it answers, including the process that he used in which he talked to just one side, got their view and has totally ignored the view of even his own Justice Department."

Hmm...how exactly did Bush consult anyone on this one?

Welcome to the tangled webs (3.00 / 1) (#3)
by wisewarren on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 11:13:58 AM EST

July 3 http://www.airamerica.com/maddow/ is where I read:

"On today's show we will talk with Jeralyn Merritt, Criminal Defense Attorney, about the President's decision to commute Scooter Libby's sentence."

. . . Then I also read . . .

"Stupid Responses
Anybody who uses the argument "Clinton pardoned Marc Rich," just look at them and realize that this is the stupidest response of the week. Do you know why? Because the lawyer who represented Marc Rich was Scooter Libby!

. . . ." # # #

Looks like it was weasely representation, too--what one might expect from having a lawyer known to the world as "Scooter"--judging by what is posted at
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/03/02/clinton.library/

So Rich "deserved" what "Scooter" wanted for him? And that means Libby's commutation should be approved somehow for reasons the opposite of what applied to Rich? Thank you for playing our new reality game, you've been a fun audience to interact with.

A Giuliani Flip-Flop on Pardons (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by squeaky on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 11:27:51 AM EST

Is more to the point.


: Rudy is an idiot, but... (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by Edger on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 11:31:41 AM EST

What I don't get is why he is trying to corner the smallest political market available.
Is he just more of an idiot that I think he is?

Bless you cpinva... (2.00 / 1) (#2)
by Strick on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 11:06:34 AM EST

You beat me to the obvious.

It's also obvious from this that the argument that only people who've served time have gotten pardons or had their sentences commuted is a bit false, too. While I'm sure Mr. Rich was deprived in someways by his forced exile to Switzerland, I don't really think that constitutes "time served".

ummmmmmmmmm.................... (1.00 / 1) (#1)
by cpinva on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 10:26:42 AM EST

At least Marc Rich proceeded within the system and "made untold efforts to try to get the charges reduced."

not to be nit picky or anything (oh hell, why not?), but wasn't mr. rich a fugitive from justice? to mr. libby's credit, he didn't run off to another country, and fight extradition for years.

or am i completely off base about this?

Libby Has Paid A Huge Price (1.00 / 1) (#7)
by MrGreyGhost on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 01:32:19 PM EST

Since when is being the scapegoat of a witchhunt (I say this partly because the Left has shown little to no interest in Richard Armitage's role in all of this and because when Slick Willie lied under oath it the Left who all screamed "BLASPEMY!" in unison regarding impeachment charges), having to a pay a $250,000 fine, having your name dragged through mud for years and being convicted of a felony, not "paying a price"?

: Sailor's Law (none / 0) (#10)
by Sailor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:04:57 PM EST

Goes in effect once again.
Jeebus, you'd think they'd get tired of screeching 'but clinton did it!'

Jeralyn this is a little picky on your part... (none / 0) (#8)
by Slado on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:34:11 PM EST

Others have noted the obvious.

Rich fought the whole American justice system for 17 years and was able to do so because of his great wealth. Then his wife game hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Clintons for Bill's library and he got a full pardon.

Libby did not run away from the ustice system but instead is having to do everything except the prison time.

Also the fact that Libby represented Rich means that for anyone to draw comparisons that make one pardon/commutation better then the other shows that said person is simply being partisan for thier side...myself included.

A Giuliani Flip-Flop on Pardons (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by squeaky on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:47:19 PM EST

Just because you do not like to see your man Giuliani shown us as a hypocrite is no reason to change the subject to focus on Rich's pardon.

Giuliani along with all your pals, are hypocrites. Bush is has extra slime because he was an accessory to the crime, and now also an obstructor of justice.


Everything except the time (none / 0) (#11)
by Big Tent Democrat on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 08:30:55 PM EST

HEck, if Rich knew that was the deal, he would not have stayed away for 17 years.


: Although (none / 0) (#12)
by squeaky on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 08:48:32 PM EST

He is still liable for civil suits. I do not think he steps foot on American soil, still.