Charlie Rangel in more ethics problems ...WTF

[littlewolf]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/rangel_in_deeper_with_new_ethics_NN5qV3bXesmA99ZPPDytiO


Rangel in deeper with new ethics charge
By ISABEL VINCENT and MELISSA KLEIN
Last Updated: 12:35 PM, December 5, 2010
Posted: 12:38 AM, December 5, 2010
The Federal Election Commission is investigating a complaint that Rep. Charles Rangel improperly used his National Leadership PAC to fund his legal defense on ethics charges for which he was censured Thursday, The Post has learned.
The FEC is acting on a complaint by the National Legal and Policy Center filed after The Post reported last month that Rangel paid nearly $400,000 from his PAC.
Lawmakers are only allowed to use money in their individual campaign funds for legal fees, or they can set up legal defense funds for such costs.
Rangel appeared before the House Ethics Committee last month saying he could no longer afford legal counsel after already burning through $2 million.
The center expects to file a second complaint this week contending that Rangel's PAC money included at least $195,000 in donations from lobbyists with business before the House Ways & Means Committee, of which he is a member.
Yesterday, the Harlem pol said he's ready to put the incident behind him.
"In all fairness, I was not found guilty of corruption, I did not go to bed with kids, I did not hurt the House speaker, I did not start a revolution against the United States of America, I did not steal any money, I did not take any bribes, and that is abundantly clear," he said.

[Cleita]

1. Somehow I don't think Rangel is alone in the House

having ethics problems. It's just he's the one being investigated. I would put my money on Darryl Issa having some real ethics problems but then he's heading the House Oversight Committee for the next two years. This fox in the hen house will never be investigated but should be nor will any Republican be pursued like they did Charlie Rangel.

[PBS Poll-435]

2. Meh. Fox News in Print. nt

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Yeah. HE is ready to put it all behind him.

Ya know, you can only stretch that war hero stuff so far.

[hlthe2b]

6. ?? He's already been hung out to dry...

You seem to want to bring the in the carrion-feeders to devour his corpse. It is the NY Post, one of Murdoch's rags, after all. Maybe a teensy bit of benefit of the doubt might be in order at this juncture?

[malaise]

4. New York Post

:puke:

[bluestate10]

5. Consider the source.

The NY Post is not a bastion of fairness toward democrats. But having written that, I say it is time for Rangel to retire. New York has and will have a democratic governor that will pick his replacement. Any special election is sure to result in a democrat winning. Rangel, for the good of his district and his party must resign. Rangel sticking around will give republicans a democratic boogieman that they can point fingers at in 2012 was they work to gain more power.

[RZM]

8. I predict he will retire

and won't be on the ballot in 2012. He's had a long career and it's time to call it quits for the good of the party.

[snot]

7. Some people are sincerely lacking any ethical compass.

[Hannah Bell]

9. rangel's ethics charges are small potatoes. he's being targeted,

& the folks targeting him are murderers & grand larcenists.

[pacalo]

10. I totally agree, Hannah Bell.

[TheCowsCameHome]

11. At 80, he can certainly go out the retirement door peacefully

if he chooses to do so.