(USA Today) A House investigative panel formally charged U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) with 13 ethics violations Thursday, setting the stage for a trial a few months before the midterm elections. In a 40-page statement of charges, a bipartisan panel said the New York Democrat had improperly solicited donations for a public center and library bearing his name and that he omitted hundreds of thousands of dollars of income and assets on disclosure statements. The broad allegations had previously come to light over the course of the committee's nearly two-year investigation into Rangel's conduct, but the detailed charges, and the start of a public trial--came as lawmakers prepared to go home to meet with voters during the summer recess.
Rangel didn't appear at the 30-minute hearing but instead submitted a lengthy statement in which his lawyers are negotiating with the committee's staff to find an agreement to avoid a prolonged trial. The statement reads, "The undisputed evidence is that . . . Rangel did not dispense any political favors, that he did not intentionally violate any law, rule, or regulation, and that he did not misuse his public office for private gain." Republicans on the committee left little room for an agreement, which would require a vote to take effect. "Mr. Rangel was given multiple opportunities to settle this matter," said Rep. Jo Bonner of Alabama. "Instead, he chose to move forward to the public trial." The committee's charges centered on four broad issues, including: Rangel's solicitation of donations for a public service center at the City College of New York, his failure to report income and assets, his use of a rent-stabilized apartment for campaign offices, and taxes he did not pay on rental income for a Dominican Republic beach villa. From 2005 to 2007, Rangel used his official letterhead to solicit donations for the Charles B. Rangel Center from organizations that had business before the House Ways and Means Committee, according to the charges. Rangel chaired the committee until he stepped down in March.
The ethics panel also alleged that Rangel accepted a rent-stabilized apartment in Manhattan he used for his campaign offices and that he initially didn't pay federal taxes on the Dominican Republic property. Rangel acknowledged the tax issue in 2008 and said Thursday that the matter was resolved. An eight member committee consisting of four Democrats and four Republicans must decide whether to uphold the charges. The committee didn't state when it would meet next. The Rangel controversy also continued to play into this year's elections. Republicans have been eager to remind voters that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi orchestrated the 2006 takeover of Congress in party by promising to "drain the swamp" of ethics violations. A growing number of Democrats have called on Rangel to resign. Even President Obama stated that Rangel should resign from Congress.
The reason why President Obama and the Democrats want him to resign is because Rangel has become a political liability for the party. Many House and Senate seats that the Democrats occupy are vulnerable. If a trial takes place, I heard it could possibly take place in September, which is just a couple of months before the November elections. Both political parties take turns playing the bad guys and the not-so bad guys. I recall the corruption involved with the Republicans prior to the 2006 midterm elections involving Randy "Duke" Cunningham, Mark Foley, and many Republican senators who took a part in the Jack Abramoff scandal. Since the Democrats have taken control of both Houses of Congress since 2006, there are a number of ethics violations against prominent Democrats such as Charles Rangel and even Maxine Waters (D-Calif). Both parties are corrupt to the core. If the Republicans take charge in 2011, there will be a new round of ethics violations against the Republicans. It's the same ordeal. These ethics trials demonstrate the importance of why American voters need to vote out incumbents in drove this November.
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