December 11, 2001
By Jennifer Steinhauer
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, (click here) who has frequently encouraged New Yorkers to hop on commercial airplanes as a way of returning to normalcy, asked to borrow an airplane belonging to Donald Trump for his visit to Israel last weekend. Mr. Giuliani, who had been invited to ride along with Mayor-elect Michael R. Bloomberg and Gov. George E. Pataki on Mr. Bloomberg's private jet, chose to take Mr. Trump's plane instead.
By Jennifer Steinhauer
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, (click here) who has frequently encouraged New Yorkers to hop on commercial airplanes as a way of returning to normalcy, asked to borrow an airplane belonging to Donald Trump for his visit to Israel last weekend. Mr. Giuliani, who had been invited to ride along with Mayor-elect Michael R. Bloomberg and Gov. George E. Pataki on Mr. Bloomberg's private jet, chose to take Mr. Trump's plane instead.
''The reason for doing it that way was merely to be able to get back in time,'' Mr. Giuliani said yesterday, adding that it would have taken an extra 12 hours to fly commercial, something he said he had ''absolutely no trepidation about doing.'' He added that he planned to fly on commercial planes frequently once he left office in January. The mayor took two Continental Airlines flights to Arizona for the World Series in October, but those were charter flights.
Mr. Giuliani also said yesterday that the city's Conflict of Interest Board had signed off on the use of the Trump jet, and that the trip was paid for by a number of private donors. Under the City Charter, city officials are barred from accepting gifts from people who do business with the city or who give gifts specifically because the recipient holds a government post. Mr. Trump has received various tax breaks from the city....
