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	A Grim Story, with Unresolvable Accusations, Circling around the Giuliani Campaign By Rudy Giuliani National Review Online October 24, 2007 http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OTEwYWM0NzgxNDUxZTA5NzRiYzJkMmZhY2VhNWQwNzI= I'll have more on this ABC News story a bit later, but here is the outline: Monsignor Alan Placa, a longtime friend of Giuliani and the priest who officiated at his second wedding to Donna Hanover, works at Giuliani Partners in New York. In 2002, Placa was accused of committing three acts of molestation in the 1970s. "I know the man; I know who he is, so I support him," Giuliani told ABC News. "We give some of the worst people in our society the presumption of innocence and benefit of the doubt. And, of course, I'm going to give that to one of my closest friends." Charges were never brought against Placa because by the time anyone came forward with charges, the statute of limitations had expired. But Placa was told by the church to stop performing his priestly duties in 2002, as two former students and an altar boy came forward with their allegations. Several former students from the same high school say they were asked by the "Giuliani organization" to contact ABC News and vouch for Placa. This is a grim, miserable story. If Placa's guilty, he's escaped justice. If he's innocent, he's having his name smeared, and it's becoming national news because his childhood friend is running for president. There's nothing Giuliani or Placa can do to clear his name, short of keep producing students from that era to say they never saw or heard of anything resembling this behavior; the accusers have their word against Palaca's. One would almost prefer a trial, because then he could either be found guilty or acquitted. As it is now, it's just a dark cloud hanging over the Giuliani campaign, with no hope of resolution. It's an old story — the accusations have now been around for five years — but now the words "Giuliani" and "Friend" and "Accused" and "Molestation" will appear in the news whenever the accusers hold a press conference.
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