Who was Bernard Kerik? Ex-NYPD commissioner, hailed hero for 9/11 work, dies
Bernard Kerik, also referred to as Bernie, served in law enforcement and national security for more than 40 years.
Bernard B. Kerik, who served as the 40th Police Commissioner of New York City, died at the age of 69 on Thursday after battling illness. Kerik's passing was announced on X by FBI director Kash Patel.
Kerik was hailed as a hero for his supervision of the New York police department's response to 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
"Today, we mourn the loss of Bernard B. Kerik, a warrior, a patriot, and one of the most courageous public servants this country has ever known. Bernie passed away tragically on May 29, 2025, after a private battle with illness," Patel wrote on X.
Bernard Kerik, aka Bernie Kerik, who served in law enforcement and national security for more than 40 years, also fell from grace when he pleaded guilty to ethics violations and tax fraud. He even served three years in federal prison for these charges until President Donald Trump pardoned him in 2020, a CNN report said.
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Who was Bernard Kerik?
Born on September 4, 1955, in Newark, New Jersey, Kerik once served as a bodyguard and driver for former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani in 1993.
He also served in the US Army from 1974 to 1977. Bernie Kerik held the office of commissioner of the New York City Department of Corrections from 1998 to 2000 before being appointed NYPD's commissioner in August 2000.
President George W. Bush had even nominated Kerik for the post of Homeland Security secretary in 2004. But Kerik later withdrew from consideration due to the potential tax violations case.
Kerik pleaded guilty to misdemeanour ethics violations in relation to the gifts he received while heading the city corrections department in 2006, a CNN report said. A fine was imposed on him for having accepted $165,000 in gifts from a construction firm.
Kerik was indicted on federal corruption charges in November 2007, and he pleaded not guilty to all 16 counts. In 2009, he pleaded guilty to eight felony charges, including lying to White House officials and tax fraud.
After serving three years in federal prison, Kerik was released from jail for good behaviour. He even released his memoir in 2015.
During the 2019 military case of Navy SEAL chief Edward Gallaghar, Kerik was heavily involved in being Eddie's advisor.
Notably, the FBI director hailed Kerik's leadership of the police department with "strength and resolve" in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, lauding him for "guiding the NYPD through one of the darkest chapters in our nation's history".
Kerik was decorated over 100 times for his service, having rescued victims from burning buildings, survived assassination bids and having brought to justice some of the world's most dangerous criminals.
"His legacy is not just in the medals or the titles, but in the lives he saved, the city he helped rebuild, and the country he served with honor," FBI director Patel said.
Patel said that Kerik's watch might have ended, but his impact "will never fade".
