Giuliani in Jacksonville: Tells Florida Times-Union Zone of Executive Confidentiality Needed

In a meeting with the editorial board of the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said although he "ran a very transparent administration" as mayor of New York City. Nevertheless, he added, "in the sense that things were legally protected, or needed to be legally protected, we did. Sometimes we had disputes over that, and we'd go to court."

Giuliani said, "There's a certain zone — whether it's a mayor or a governor or a president — of executive confidentiality that everybody wants in order to make decisions."

Citing the frequency of his press conferences, "pretty close to every day," Giuliani explained that the role of the mayor of New York City is to be in close communication with the press.

"I think you have a right to ask the questions, and I think I have an obligation to answer," he said. "But I also have an obligation to keep confidential those things which are legally protected."

Watch the video from the Times-Union editorial board meeting with Giuliani online here.