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Giuliani Defends, Employs Priest Accused of Molesting Teens

October 23, 2007 7:00 AM

Giulianidefend_mn Presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani hired a Catholic priest to work in his consulting firm months after the priest was accused of sexually molesting two former students and an altar boy and told by the church to stop performing his priestly duties.

The priest, Monsignor Alan Placa, a longtime friend of Giuliani and the priest who officiated at his second wedding to Donna Hanover, continues to work at Giuliani Partners in New York, to the outrage of some of his accusers and victims' groups, which have begun to protest at Giuliani campaign events.

"This man did unjust things, and he's being protected and employed and taken care of. It's not a good thing," said one of the accusers, Richard Tollner, who says Placa molested him repeatedly when he was a student at a Long Island, N.Y. Catholic boys high school in 1975. 

Photos: Giuliani and the Priest

At a campaign appearance in Milwaukee last week, Giuliani continued to defend Placa, who he described to reporters as a close friend for 39 years.

"I know the man; I know who he is, so I support him," Giuliani said. "We give some of the worst people in our society the presumption of innocence and benefit of the doubt," he said. "And, of course, I'm going to give that to one of my closest friends." 

The accusations against Placa were made in testimony before a Suffolk County grand jury in 2002. 

THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS

Tollner, now a mortgage broker in Albany, N.Y., says he was one of three people to testify about Placa.

"This man harmed children. He still could do it. He deserves to be shown for what he was, or is," says Tollner.

Appearing publicly for the first time today on ABC News' "Good Morning America," Tollner says the abuse started when he and Placa were in the high school making posters for a Right to Life march.

"As he started to explain how these posters should be done, I realized that something was rubbing my body," Tollner said. "After a minute or two, I realized that he's feeling me, feeling me in my genital area."

The grand jury report concluded that a Priest F, who Tollner says is Placa, abused the boys sexually "again and again and again."

"Priest F was cautious, but relentless in his pursuit of victims. He fondled boys over their clothes, usually in his office," the report said.

The report concluded that Priest F, and several other priests under investigation from the same Long Island, N.Y. diocese, could not be prosecuted because the statute of limitations had expired.

Several former students from the same high school say they were asked by the "Giuliani organization" to contact ABC News and vouch for Placa.

"There was absolutely not a hint of rumor of a speculation or a whisper, in four years, or in decades after of any sexual predatoriness on the part of Rev. Placa," wrote Matthew Hogan in an e-mail to ABCNews.com.

Hogan says he recalls that Placa did give "special attention" to his former schoolmate Richard Tollner and remembers seeing Tollner in Placa's office "laughing, on opposite sides of a desk with Mr. Tollner happily animated sitting up on the couch talking."

But Hogan says the school area where Tollner says he was molested "was CONSTANTLY trafficked even on off days and hours."

"I will gladly help take apart in public anything that seriously overlooks the above. I'll be watching The Blotter like a hawk," Hogan wrote.

In addition to the allegations that Priest F was personally involved in the sexual abuse, the grand jury also said that Priest F became instrumental in a church policy that used "deception and intimidation" to keep the church scandal quiet.

Placa served as a lawyer for the diocese in dealing with allegations of abuse against other priests and, according to the grand jury report, claimed he had saved the church hundreds of thousands of dollars in his handling of possible litigation.

Lawyers for alleged victims say Placa would often conduct interviews, in his priest garb, without making it clear he was the church lawyer.

"He was a wolf in sheep's clothing," said Melanie Little, a lawyer for several alleged victims of sexual abuse by other priests in the diocese.

"He was more concerned with protecting the priests, protecting the reputation of the diocese and protecting the church coffers than he was protecting the children," said Little.

Since going to work for Giuliani Partners, the former mayor and the priest have continued to be close.

Placa accompanied Giuliani and his wife Judith on a trip to Rome earlier this year.

Through a spokeswoman at Giuliani Partners, Sunny Mindel, Placa declined requests to comment on the allegations to ABCNews.com.

Mindel also declined to specify what Placa does for the firm or how much he is paid.

"Mr. Giuliani can do what he wants with his money, but he has to pay the price for people like myself who disagree with employing known child molesters," Tollner said.

While no longer allowed to perform priestly duties or appear in public as a priest, Placa continues to maintain a residence at a church rectory in Great Neck on New York's Long Island.

According to New York property records, Placa also co-owns, with another priest, a waterfront apartment in lower Manhattan in Battery Park City, valued at more than $500,000.

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October 23, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (17)

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The present Republican US Congressman from Northern Virginia who is going to run for the Senate against Mark Warner has had numerous extra marital affairs.

Posted by: Karl | Oct 23, 2007 8:35:44 PM

Way to go Rep. Giuliani for supporting the pervert, child molester aka Priest. Is this the way you would run the white house???? Hey, he is one of your closest friends!! I would pick different friends. Haven't been molested as a child, have you, Rudy? I was and it never leaves me. NEVER!!!
Are you related to Dubya?

Posted by: Linda | Oct 23, 2007 9:22:32 PM

That is why Guiliani will never be elected

Posted by: carlito | Oct 23, 2007 11:24:11 PM

It is inconceivable to a non-molester that a teen could be raped by a priest. It is inconceivable to believe that a close priest friend of the family could attack and break a young person's life into shreads. they couldn't have hidden it from ME! I would have known... NOT there is too much TRUST going on. Meanwhile, the victim is alone and revictimized needlessly by denial of the people who should be the ones he can trust. Everyone loses when a Priest molests. Giuliani is associating with a loser. It may bring him into that catatgory too.

Posted by: nanarino | Oct 24, 2007 1:21:45 AM

Wow, imagine how the victims feel, seeing Republican leaders, church officials and society types hobnobbing with a rapist who's under the protection of a presidential candidate. They must feel the way I feel when I see Democrats hobnobbing with Susan Srandon, who named her child after a violent spree killer she was trying to free from prison -- after he'd been freed once and killed again. Where is the Church, anyway? Busy evicting nuns to pay off the legal fees of scummy, wealthy priests?

Posted by: TT | Oct 24, 2007 12:14:49 PM

A child-molesting priests is one of the greatest breakers of trust in our society. As a former alter boy, I looked up to the priests I served much in the same way I looked up to the Lord. Priests are God's representatives on earth. It says something about the state of the priesthood that I feel lucky none ever tried anything on me. That Rudy employs someone who by all accounts appears guilty of horrible acts is one of many strikes against him. But I know many good Catholics who believe the priest molestation issue is either overblown or the result of liberal influences. These people will look the other way and vote for Giuliani because he makes them feel safe, despite all evidence to the contrary.

Posted by: JZ | Oct 24, 2007 12:34:34 PM

Why,its moves like this that let you know that it WILL NEVER CHANGE!!!!!no matter what is said about friendship!

Posted by: Bob | Oct 24, 2007 1:51:27 PM

I would not vote for Giuliani if he were the only candidate in the race. I will not be responsible for what he will bring to the white house. The guilt I carry for voting for Bush is enough.

Posted by: Dena | Oct 24, 2007 1:51:50 PM

Uh, Never say Never...

If "They" want him in - he will be in...

Posted by: Watcher | Oct 24, 2007 3:14:31 PM

What the hell is Giuliani thinking!? Oh yeah, he's thinking that since there are so many other hypocritical, child molesting Republicans around, he might as well jump on the bandwagon. Maybe he can hire Mark Foley too. And what a slap in the face to the victims that dirt bag priest won't face criminal charges because the statute of limitations has expired. Children who are victims of sexual abuse are often too scared to speak up right away, and now the children are the ones that are being punished for it.

Posted by: allknowing | Oct 24, 2007 8:49:27 PM

Rudy had his name in "lights" following the horror of 9-11. So did Bush in a smaller way. BOTH men have been riding off this ONE instance to heighten their esteem and keep their names in GOOD GRACES. It is just a "fool tactic" and they are brainwashing those who look up to both men simply because of what they may have said or done following 9-11. I, for one, want a candidate that has much more to offer to bring our country back to where it should be in the eyes of the world. Bush is a liar and a cheat. Rudy is a fast-talking slick copy of Bush....please people don't let it happen again for another 4 or 8 years!

Posted by: Joan | Oct 25, 2007 9:13:45 AM

TT: Priests are God's representatives on earth? Perhaps a more rational description would be that they are the foot soldiers for a increasingly irrelevant belief system. The molestation issue, rather than being overblown or the result of liberal influences, is pretty darn amusing. I hope all the Good Catholics (TM) think about this when they are giving their money.

Posted by: Rick | Oct 25, 2007 10:15:30 AM

I'm not surprised by Giuliani's 'loyalty.' He's only conforming to the ecclesiastical double standard. One for the clergy and one for the folks 'in the pew.' Integrity is up for grabs but bishops, politicians are not biting. Integrity is too costly.

Ken Victims Advocate

Posted by: Kenneth Lasch | Oct 25, 2007 5:21:02 PM

I've been amazed by all those who years later say they were molested when they were alter boys. Why didn't they report the molestation at that time? Why did so many fail to report it at the time? I was an alter boy for several years and even socialize with priests after services. If ever anyone of the priests were to try to molest me, I would have reported it immediately to my parents. I also knew where the police department was located and that would have been the next stop for me.

I'm not writing to take the priests part, but I am trying to understand the reason for not immediately reporting the incident by the "victim". If anyone has first hand knowledge I would appreciate any information which would help me understand the reason for the lack of immediate action by the "victim".

Posted by: john beckert | Oct 30, 2007 9:19:20 PM

I HOPE THIS GUY GIULIANI WILL NERVER GET ELECTED HE IS A RACES WHO GAVE HIS WIFE THEN GIRLFIREND 911 MONEY, MONEY THAT I DONATED WITH ALL OF NEW YORK AND THE WORLD ,HE HAS A BIG CLOSET OF SKELETONS.

Posted by: john mcfarlane | Oct 31, 2007 11:22:57 AM

So, when exactly was the priest convicted of these alleged crimes?

Oh, that's right. HE WASN'T.

I guess "Guilty until proven innocent" doesn't apply if it can help bring down a Republican.

Good to see liberals so desperate. Fills me with hope for the 2008 election cycle.

Posted by: ynot4tony2 | May 4, 2008 9:13:51 AM

I love you people. What is supposed to happen to persons with any kind of criminal history? Are they to remain pariahs in our society? Are they to be denied the means of earning a living for all time? Get a life.

Posted by: Roger | May 4, 2008 3:13:49 PM

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