Rudy Giuliani on CNN’s State of the Union
For Sunday’s CNN’s State of the Union with Candy Crowley, Candy spoke with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani about the Murdoch scandal, 2012 elections and more. A highlighted excerpt of this interview is after the jump, and a full transcript will be posted on CNN.com.
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Highlighted Excerpt
THIS IS A RUSH FDCH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, CNN’S STATE OF THE UNION: As you know, “News of the World,” owned by Rupert Murdoch, who has been a friend and a supporter of yours for a long time, there are now allegations that News Corp journalists or those working for News Corp tried to hack into the answering machines or the phones of 9/11 victims or their families. Should there be an investigation?
RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Well, there is an investigation. Sure — I mean, that — intercepting communications like that is a crime, has to be investigated. I think what there shouldn’t be — and we’ve learned recently with a bunch of criminal cases of different kinds — don’t rush to judgment. Give people the presumption of innocence. I think that just how high up it goes is a big question and it’s one we shouldn’t be jumping to conclusions about.
CROWLEY: Have you spoken to Mr. —
(CROSSTALK)
GIULIANI: I — no. Not yet, not in the last —
CROWLEY: — Murdoch, and asked him about this?
GIULIANI: — couple weeks.
CROWLEY: Are you confident, knowing him, that — ?
GIULIANI: — I’ll probably see him at some point in the next couple of days or a week or — I see him all the time at various functions.
CROWLEY: Are you confident enough in him — ?
GIULIANI: Oh, gosh, yes. He’s a very honorable, honest man. This can’t be something that he would have anything to do with. The fact that they’re — that they’re doing it is a bad thing, shouldn’t be done. I don’t know what it is in England, in the United States it’s a felony. I’ve prosecuted people for that. They should have the common sense to know you cannot intercept telephone calls, you can’t intercept wire communication. That’s a federal felony and serious one in the United States. I’m sure it’s pretty darn serious in England, too.
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