“Giuliani Defends, Employs Priest Accused of Molesting Teens”
It’s a somewhat old story, covered briefly on TRF before, but the investigative report from Brian Ross uncovers some new details. First of all, Monsignor Alan Placa, the priest accused of molestation, is STILL working for Giuliani Partners. Second, he was hired AFTER the accusers came forward and the church requested that he stop performing priestly duties.
“This man did unjust things, and he’s being protected and employed and taken care of. It’s not a good thing,” said one of the accusers, Richard Tollner, who says Placa molested him repeatedly when he was a student at a Long Island, N.Y. Catholic boys high school in 1975.
At a campaign appearance in Milwaukee last week, Giuliani continued to defend Placa, who he described to reporters as a close friend for 39 years.
“I know the man; I know who he is, so I support him,” Giuliani said. “We give some of the worst people in our society the presumption of innocence and benefit of the doubt,” he said. “And, of course, I’m going to give that to one of my closest friends.”
There’s not going to be any accountability, so it’s easy for Giuliani to say that. This actually would be prosecuted, were is not for a statute of limitations (the accuser described actions from 1975), as well as obfuscatory church policy, under orders directly from Rome, in which Placa participated, using “deception and intimidation,” according to grand jury documents.
The appearance from Richard Tollner, the accuser and now a mortgage broker on Long Island, is lurid.
Tollner, now a mortgage broker in Albany, N.Y., says he was one of three people to testify about Placa.
“This man harmed children. He still could do it. He deserves to be shown for what he was, or is,” says Tollner.
Appearing publicly for the first time today on ABC News’ “Good Morning America,” Tollner says the abuse started when he and Placa were in the high school making posters for a Right to Life march.
“As he started to explain how these posters should be done, I realized that something was rubbing my body,” Tollner said. “After a minute or two, I realized that he’s feeling me, feeling me in my genital area.”
According to the story, the Giuliani campaign SOUGHT OUT former students from the same high school and asked them to “contact ABC News and vouch for Placa.” There are dozens of pictures of Giuliani with Placa, too. And really, this is another example of where Rudy can credibly be judged by the company he keeps.
The man named yesterday by the Giuliani campaign to a law enforcement outreach campaign post in Minnesota was forced to resign a government job in 2004 when proof surfaced that he’d admitted to repeatedly using the word “nigger” in the past, Election Central has learned.
Sheriff Richard Stanek was appointed to the post of chair of Minnesota Law Enforcement for Rudy. The campaign’s press release promised that Stanek “will work with law enforcement personnel throughout the state to communicate Mayor Giuliani’s record of fighting crime and his commitment to first responders.”
But as a rival campaign has pointed out to us, it turns out Stanek has admitted to having a history of racially charged remarks. He was forced to resign his post as Minnesota’s public safety commissioner in 2004 after it came to light that he’d admitted in a deposition that he’d used racist slurs in the past, including repeated use of the word “nigger.”
Steve Benen has a list of Giuliani’s associates, which could fill a lineup.
This one in particular could snowball.
Updated 10/23/07 at 1:36pm by Matt Ortega: Here’s the video from ABC’s Good Morning America.
7 Responses to “Here’s A Headline That Doesn’t Scream “Victory””
‘Steve Benen has a list of Giuliani’s associates, which could fill a lineup’
they could only fill a lineup, because the prison is already filled with clinton family business associates, personal friends, relatives, and fundraisers.
funny how liberals believe Richard Tollner outright, but Juanita Brodderick is a liar, and Paula Jones is a liar, and Monica is a…oops busted.
whats got me down is the idoiocy of liberals like you who voted for bill clinton(rapist), gerry studds(pedophile), and ted kennedy(murderer), have the balls to sit back and sling wild accusations at people who rudy happens to know, because you have nothing on rudy himself, and because you can’t debate policy, resume, or results with rudy because your candidates are so pathetically weak.
btw, its good to know barrack obama believes we can cure barney franks and gerry studds of the homosexuality…nice goin libs!!! hahahahaha
[...] David Dayen placed an interesting blog post on HereâsA Headline That Doesnât Scream âVictoryâHere’s a brief overview [...]
Alan Placa was turned in back in 1976, three times. The complaints were ignored. THEN he went to law school and was later continously employed by the diocese of Rockville Centre. In the years of 1989 to 2002 he handled child sex abuse case for the Roman Catholic church in different dioceses. He testified to the National Catholic Reporter that he handled over 200 cases up to 1999. Draw you own conclusions. The Suffolk County NY grand jury and DA Tom Spota ( Priest F case) finds him indictable exeception the statute of limitations prevented it. Its not a RUDY issue its a child molester getting protection from the church and a politician both of whom KNOW the truth and yet continue to shield and employ him.
WHY would Rudy go to he pains of making sure his marriage was anulled to be pious BUT then go out and defend this molester of children?
Richard
Something to say?
the level the left is willing to stoop continues to drop, as the realization that rudy will crush hillary in the general starts to seep in the thick liberal skulls.
prove these allegations before you smear a good man’s name. never does it cross a liberal’s mind that perhaps placa was targeted because of who is friends are, king of like how rudy’s kids are targeted by the media yet chelsea is completely walled off. this all amounts to the clinton machine realizing that giuliani will embarass clinton in a debate, in speeches, and on the trail, so they stoop to these lows.
Left by matt
October 23, 2007 at 3:51pm