Carlo Taormina

During the XIV legislature of Italy (2001–2006) he became a deputy representing Forza Italia being given the role of "Vice-Capogruppo" of the party in the chamber of deputies, he was elected in the "collegio 29" (Melzo) of the circumscription III (Lombardy 1) using the "lista civetta""of the 2001 Italian general election.

His political role was not renewed in the XV legislature (2006–08).

In regards to his political activities during these years and being Silvio Berlusconi's secretary and private lawyer Taormina declared:

«I would never do many things I did back then. I am not embarrassed to say that I experienced a moral crisis, which culminated when I saw how the Knight's (Referring to Berlusconi) narrower entourage was being structured[1]»

Taormina was briefly undersecretary to the Ministry of the Interior in the Berlusconi II government: he resigned after only six months (5 December 2001) when the press pointed out that his role as deputy secretary "for matters relating to the coordination of anti-racket and anti-usury initiatives, and the coordination of solidarity initiatives for the victims of mafia-type crimes " was in a conflict of interest with the exercise of legal defence in favour of various defendants for mafia events and in criminal trials in which the State had formed a civil party. In particular, the episode in which he presented himself as the legal defender of the boss of the "Sacra Corona Unita" Francesco Prudentino caused a sensation, accompanied by the escort he was entitled to as an undersecretary of the Ministry of the Interior.[2]

In March 2016 Taormina announced his subscription to the Five Star Movement, which he had already supported in the 2014 European elections.

Taormina has however specified that he does not want to return to active politics and that he wants to continue his career as a lawyer, supporting Beppe Grillo's movement as a private citizen.

Taormina extended the original text on the "ad personam" law on legitimate suspicion (called at a later time "Legge Cirami"):

«I worked for Berlusconi for years, I know his strategies. When I was his legal advisor and asked me to write him laws that protect him from the judiciary, it made no secret of their purpose ad personam. And I wrote them even better than they do now Ghedini and Pecorella. The one on legitimate suspicion, it seems to me, was in 2002, he needed to move his processes from Milan to Rome. He asked us openly and we, faithful executors of the prince's will, began to write it. And we also did a nice job, I have to say: it seemed all right. Then one evening in late October, around 11, a call from Ciampi arrived. I told Berlusconi that with that change it would no longer be of any use. He thought about it for a while and then replied: "In the meantime, let's do it like that, then we'll see." I was right: in fact the law passed with those changes and it didn't help him[1]»

Taormina was also the chairman of the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the death of Ilaria Alpi and Miran Hrovatin, at that time his involvement aroused controversy when he was accused of having used investigative powers to control the work of the other Commission based at the time in "Palazzo San Macuto". This commission was working on the "Telekom Serbia affair", of which he was also a member:

«The time has come for Prodi, Fassino and Dini to suffer the consequences of the most devastating corruption that has ever been consumed in the history of the Republic and the Judicial offices must also behave accordingly by arranging these characters for arrest[3]

In September 2003, following the investigations of La Repubblica, he made amends and announced his withdrawal from political life. However, he remained in Parliament until 2006.

« I confess, I am the puppeteer, the puppeteer of this whole affair, I declare myself by competition in slander with Paoletti, Marini and Pintus. [I] created difficulties for Forza Italia and Berlusconi. [It is therefore right] that I withdraw from political life. I made a serious mistake, and this is an open confession, it is right that I make public amends; I acknowledge that Repubblica is equipped with top-ranking journalists.

I am making a serious announcement, I will resign as a deputy in the next few days. Through the various processes indicated by Repubblica and for my relationships with characters such as D'Andria, Fracassi, Di Bari and also Francesco Pazienza, all connected by the collective imagination to diverted secret services and to international scams and money laundering, I managed to reach the aim to put the Telekom Serbia Commission to be subject to a poisoned meatball.

I take all responsibility for characters who by calling into question Prodi, Dini and Fassino have seriously slandered them; and I accuse myself of competition in slander, although I hope that Repubblica will do the same, because while I accuse myself I would like to know from D'Avanzo and Bonini who their puppeteers of the time were and to whom they are now serving. Repubblica is right, I can't sue![4]»

Taormina has presented several bills as the first signatory, mainly in the legal-procedural field, including:

• Provisions for the simplification of the criminal justice system (C.2668, approved as an integrated text with others)
• Provisions regarding the prescription of the crime and the conditional suspension of the sentence (C.2709)
• Indult concession (C.3151) – rejected
• Penitentiary treatment in emergency situations (C.3313) – Absorbed by the approval of the combined DDL
• Abolition of compulsory prosecution (C.3941)
• Discipline of the immunity of parliamentarians from criminal proceedings and from the execution of sentencing sentences (C.4615)
• Provisions for the reasonable length of trials and for the best protection of constitutional freedoms (C.6064)

As a co-signer, he presented proposals related to different topics (euthanasia, soft drugs, prostitution, death penalty, civil unions and same-sex marriage):

• Amendment to article 27 of the Constitution concerning the abolition of the death penalty (C.2072), to abolish the "cases foreseen by the military war laws"
• Amendments to the Consolidated Law on Narcotic Drugs on the Legalization of Cannabis Derivatives, Controlled Heroin Administration, Therapeutic Use of Marijuana (C.2973)
• Euthanasia legalization provisions (C.2974)
• Raising the minimum retirement age (C.2976)
• Reduction of terms of pre-trial detention and for the simplification of early release procedures (C.2977)
• Uninominal and majority reform of the electoral system of the Superior Council of the Magistracy (C.2978)
• Provisions relating to the establishment of the register of civil unions of same-sex couples or of different sexes and the possibility for same-sex persons to access the institution of marriage (C.2982)
• Simplification of procedures and reduction of time for obtaining a divorce (C.2983)
• Rules on medically assisted procreation and therapeutic cloning (C.2984)
• Provisions for the legalization of prostitution (C.2985)
• State presidential reform (C.3942)

Despite having supported liberal opinions such as the institution of homosexual civil unions, during his political activity, in 2013, he made some statements to the program "La Zanzara", saying that he does not want to hire homosexual collaborators in his office.

The Bergamo Labor Court, following the appeal filed by the Advocate association for LGBTI rights – Lenford Network, considered that Taormina's expressions were, as discriminatory towards homosexuals, suitable to dissuade certain subjects from submitting their candidacies to professional study and, therefore, likely to hinder their access to work or make it more difficult, in violation of the rules protecting equal treatment in terms of employment and working conditions. For this reason, on 6 August 2014, Taormina was sentenced to pay the sum of 10,000.00 Euros as compensation for damages.

Following the sentencing, he challenged the measure asking for its reform to the Brescia Court of Appeal, which however, with a sentence of 11 December 2014, rejected his appeal and confirmed the first instance measure