Giuliani billed questionable expenses, website says

A political website reported today that as New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani billed obscure city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars in security expenses while he was starting an extramarital affair with Judith Nathan, who is now his third wife.

The Politico said it had obtained previously undisclosed government records under New York's freedom of information law that show the expenses had nothing to do with the functions of the agencies and show three summers of visits to Southampton, the Long Island town where Nathan had an apartment. At the time, Giuliani's office refused to explain the accounting to city auditors, citing "security," The Politico reported.

Auditors looking at expenses in 1999 and 2000 "were unable to verify that these expenses were for legitimate or necessary purposes," the city's comptroller wrote in a letter obtained by The Politico.

The Giuliani campaign issued a statement last night, saying, "This is common practice. The NYPD is responsible for providing security for the mayor of New York around the clock."

Giuliani responded to a question about the expenses posed by moderator Anderson Cooper in tonight's CNN/YouTube debate by saying:

"First of all, it's not true. I had 24-hour security for the eight years that I was mayor. They followed me everyplace I went. It was because there were, you know, threats, threats that I don't generally talk about. Some have become public recently; most of them haven't.

"And they took care of me, and they put in their records, and they handled them in the way they handled them. I had nothing to do with the handling of their records, and they were handled, as far as I know, perfectly appropriately."

Giuliani has acknowledged the affair with Nathan and has repeatedly told voters during his presidential bid that he is not perfect.