“I uncovered information that now leads me to question the immigration status of a person who had been in my employ as a housekeeper and nanny,” Mr Kerik said in a statement.

“It has also been brought to my attention that for a period of time, during such employment, required tax payments and related filings had not been made.”

Masterful use of the passive voice and other linguistic tricks to distance yourself from the issue there, Mr. Kerik. By the way, has anyone ever counted how many nominees of either party have scuppered themselves by employing illegal immigrants and paying them under the table? It seems so Seventies-retro, somehow.

Questions were also raised concerning his very lucrative connections with the company that manufactures Taser stun-guns, but this seems like a much softer “out.”