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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