Giuliani hired for Kyiv race

After failing in his bid to get elected president of the U.S., Rudy Giuliani is now trying to get his newest client, a heavyweight boxing champion, elected mayor of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.

Wednesday, the former New York mayor will announce a contract for strategies to root out corruption with Vitali Klitschko, the retired boxer known as "Dr. Iron Fist" because of his doctorate in sports science from Kyiv University.

The announcement comes as the erstwhile presidential candidate begins a return to the business world, where he was known for some of the clients of his strategy and security consulting firm, Giuliani Partners LLC.

In June, Mr. Giuliani stepped down as chief executive of the firm, which was filled with former members of his mayoral administration, but he has now resumed that role. After dropping out of the presidential race, Mr. Giuliani pledged his support to Republican candidate John McCain and joined him on the campaign trail.

Mr. Giuliani`s business activities, which also come through the Texas law firm Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, were a campaign issue because of some contracts, such as defending the safety of the drug OxyContin and efforts on behalf of Mexico City and a state-owned firm in Qatar.

Mr. Giuliani also garnered wide coverage when he spoke via teleconference to a group of Americans in Kazakhstan who donated to his presidential campaign.

The May 25 election in Kyiv marks Mr. Klitschko`s second attempt at becoming mayor after losing in 2006 with 26% of the vote. Although he is a front-runner this time, opposition to the incumbent, Leonid Chernovetsky, is divided among more than two dozen candidates, splitting the opposition vote.

The announcement at Nasdaq in Times Square is meant to highlight Mr. Klitschko`s commitment to bringing U.S. businesses to Kyiv, a goal that drove him to hire Giuliani Partners to root out corruption. Mr. Klitschko, 36 years old, serves on Kyiv`s City Council.

Mr. Klitschko "understands that reform and transparency are critical to attracting international business and sustainable economic development for his city," Mr. Giuliani said in a statement.

Mr. Giuliani lends his crime-fighting knowledge from his time as a U.S. attorney and also as the twice-elected mayor of New York, which he is credited with cleaning up by using aggressive police tactics.

Giuliani Partners and Mr. Klitschko declined to give the size of the contract or whether Mr. Giuliani would travel to Ukraine this month.

By T.W. Farnam, The Wall Street Journal

New York, New York, Wednesday, May 7, 2008