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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS - JANUARY 3, 2003
Rudy Chronicles, Bit by Bit
By JOANNE WASSERMAN
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's controversial records have
started to come back to the city's Municipal Archives
- and they paint a haunting picture of the events surrounding
Sept. 11.
City archivists said that four boxes from a total of 124
that contain Giuliani's daily internal schedules are now
available to the public.
Other information, such as correspondence and internal
memos, are still being prepared by archivists hired by
the Giuliani Center - a nonprofit organization set up
by former aides and friends last year.
The released documents - on white loose-leaf paper with
three holes and no official letterhead - contain information
that never appeared on Giuliani's public schedules, such
as private staff meetings and internal briefings.
Aides to the former mayor "revised" some of
the information on the schedules in December 2001, just
before Giuliani left office.
A number of these changes involved Sept. 11, indicating
events canceled or added that day because of the terrorist
attacks.
But revisions also were made for other dates.
While city officials and the former mayor hailed the
release of the documents, critics said the papers always
would have a cloud over them because they were removed
from city custody and information could have been deleted.
Typical to tragic
Most of the papers detail Giuliani's mundane day-to-day
activities - until Sept. 11, 2001.
The documents show that day started out typically enough.
Giuliani had breakfast with William Simon, a Republican
candidate for governor.
But by 9:30 a.m., everything had changed. A "photo
opportunity" with the Rev. Patrick Ryan and a staff
meeting at 9:45 a.m. were canceled.
Nor did Giuliani ever make it uptown to E. 88th St. to
vote in the Republican Primary.
"CANCELED DUE TO TERRORIST ATTACK," a notation
added on Dec. 18, 2001, states.
In boldface, a noon event states: "Mayor arrives
at Engine 6 on Houston Street as temporary headquarters,
gathers his executive staff and goes on air to update
on terrorist attack."
Giuliani spokeswoman Sunny Mindel said Giuliani schedulers
added the notations for "historical" purposes.
Archives director Ken Cobb said he had gone to The Fortress,
a private facility in Queens where the documents are being
stored, at least once a month.
"I look at what the archivists are doing,"
said Cobb. "We talk about the mechanics of the process.
They are doing a good job."
Taint seen
But New York Public Interest Research Group lawyer Gene
Russianoff said he believes the public "will never
know if the records were removed or doctored."
"The former mayor should return the papers to the
Municipal Archives lock, stock and stapled," Russianoff
said. "There is a cloud over them that will never
go away."
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