rudy is no longer part of the law firm representing NYRI controversial clients

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http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jj8Aed7dLKKa-I_deDwVpCnZTXcQD8TAS59O0

Giuliani No Longer Heads Consultant

22 hours ago

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani
has stepped down as head of his consulting firm, Giuliani Partners,
after months of refusing to disclose the firm's clients or the role he
played.

Giuliani has been replaced as chairman by Peter Powers, a longtime
friend and former aide, Giuliani Partners spokeswoman Sunny Mindel
said Tuesday. The change was reported by The Wall Street Journal
earlier Tuesday, and Mindel noted news stories over recent months
saying Giuliani was handing control to Powers.

The firm, started by the former New York mayor when he left City Hall,
earned Giuliani around $4 million last year. The spokeswoman said he
would retain his equity stake in the company.

While insisting the firm's client list was confidential, Giuliani has
noted the media have named a number of his clients.

Published reports have identified one client as the Persian Gulf
country of Qatar, which was accused of sheltering suspected Sept. 11
mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, although today it is a U.S. ally.

Also identified as Giuliani clients are airlines, energy companies and
communications businesses; one client, Purdue Pharma L.P., makes the
controversial painkiller OxyContin. His law firm, Houston-based
Bracewell & Giuliani, has represented an American subsidiary of an oil
company controlled by Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president.

Giuliani aides said he has not been involved in day-to-day operations
of the firm since last spring. Yet he never formally announced he had
relinquished his titles, despite being asked repeatedly about it. The
firm's Web site listed him as chairman as recently as last month.

He has used the office in Times Square to conduct campaign activity,
such as giving interviews; aides said Giuliani's campaign pays for
office and conference space for meetings.

Asked in a Nov. 5 interview with The Associated Press to outline his
role in the firm or list its clients, Giuliani laughed, then grew
agitated:

"Everything I did at Giuliani Partners was totally legal, totally
ethical," he said. "There's nothing for me to explain about. We acted
honorably, decently."

He added: "There are some things that a law firm and security firm do
that are confidential. You can't release it because the client asks
for confidentiality. We do sensitive work. So maybe there are some
exceptions like that."

Giuliani said it's unfair to ask for details about his consulting firm
as well as his law firm, Bracewell & Giuliani.

"What's the standard? Giuliani Partners and Bracewell Giuliani are
firms. Nobody has ever accused them of doing anything wrong. So all of
the sudden, you are going to start jumping to conclusions about them
when there are absolutely no suggestion they have done anything
wrong?"

Giuliani had income of $4.1 million from his share in the consulting
business and $1.2 million from Bracewell between January 2006 and
February 2007, he reported in financial disclosure forms filed in May.

Critics accuse him of hiding his business dealings because he won't
release a client list or describe his work at the firm.

"Given that he still has a financial stake in Giuliani Partners and
it's managed by his childhood friend, Rudy is not going to get away
with covering up his ties to shady clients like the government of
Qatar, the pharmaceutical industry, and Hugo Chavez," Democratic
National Committee spokesman Dag Vega said.