Rudy The Rapist

Those who aid and abet in the commission of a felony, or assist in obstructing the investigation of one, are as guilty of that felony as those who actually committed the crime. That is a central tenet to the American jurisprudence system.

Which is why this piece is titled the way it is, because of this story:

WASHINGTON -- Rudolph Giuliani will stand by his longtime friend Msgr. Alan Placa despite a new call by an advocacy group for priest-abuse victims to fire the suspended priest from his consulting firm, a Giuliani aide said Friday.[...]

In 2002, after Newsday reported accusatons he had molested students decades earlier, the Diocese of Rockville Centre placed Placa on administrative leave. In 2003, a Suffolk County grand jury report cited the accusations by three of his former students and found Placa used his position as diocese vice chancellor to stifle other priest-abuse complaints.

Placa, who insists he is innocent, faced no criminal charges.

Whether Placa himself abused minors is in doubt, although he has been accused of the crime.

But note that Placa stifled complaints, and by extension, investigation into those complaints. This is akin to refusing a breathalyzer after a traffic stop, and that, my friends, is considered an admission of guilt and can get you a suspended license.

Giuliani's Achilles' heel may not turn out to be his irascible temper and inability to think of anyone but Rudy. It may, in fact, be his hubris in believing that he should stick by his friends, no matter how ugly their behavior has been.