Charles Rangel, who was just reelected to a 21st term in Congress by his Harlem constituents, was convicted Tuesday by an eight member House ethics panel on 11 of 13 counts charging him with breaking House ethics rules.
From the Houston Chronicle:
__The congressional panel, sitting as a jury, found that Rangel had used House stationery and staff to solicit money for a New York college center named after him. It also concluded he solicited donors for the center with interests before the Ways and Means Committee, leaving the impression the money could influence official actions.
__He also was found guilty of failing to disclose at least $600,000 in assets and income in a series of inaccurate reports to Congress; using a rent-subsidized New York apartment for a campaign office, when it was designated for residential use; and failure to report to the IRS rental income from a housing unit in a Dominican Republic resort.
His punishment will be determined by the full House ethics committee. The committee’s recommendation to the House is not expected to be more than a reprimand.
Now I am not going to get all exercised over Charlie’s financial and fundraising violations. Why not? Because I am sure there are plenty of other Congressmen and Senators who are doing similar things. It’s just that poor Charlie got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Of greater concern is the sad fact that Charlie won reelection by a landslide despite wide public knowledge of the charges that were pending against him. I guess his Harlem constituents must have been convinced that their Congressman was just another black victim of racism.
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