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House Launches Rangel Investigation

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September 24, 2008 6:06 PM

ABC News' Dean Norland reports: The House Ethics committee announced today that they are launching an investigation into Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) on allegations that he failed to pay back taxes and misused Congressional resources to fundraise.

Rangel, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, had asked for months that the Ethics Committee review the allegations against him.  House GOP leadership had also called for the investigation.

In a written statement, the Ethics panel said they had created a subcommittee with jurisdiction to determine "whether Representative Rangel violated the Code of Official Conduct of any law, rule regulation."

The subcommittee will specifically investigate whether Rangel failed to pay taxes on rental income from a resort condo and whether he got a special deal on at least three rent-controlled apartments Rangel owns in New York (one of which he uses as his campaign office.)

The subcommittee will also look into whether Rangel misused official resources by sending out letters to potential donors of his for public service center on congressional stationary. Finally they will look into allegations that Rangel improperly stored his car in the congressional parking garage.

Many GOP House leaders are calling for Rangel to step down.  House Minority leader John Boehner recently issued a statement calling for Rangel to step down temporarily as Ways & Means committee chairman during the investigation and said that the "American people deserve far better than this."

Rangel characterized these calls as "guerilla tactics" in a letter to his constituents.

Representative Gene Green (D-TX) will chair the investigation but because of timing, it is likely to carry over into the next year.

September 24, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (21)

User Comments

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You shouldn't have thrown stones, Rangel, what goes around comes around!!

Posted by: Pamela | Sep 24, 2008 6:53:43 PM

Maybe Rangel should take a page out of Palin's playbook and refuse to cooperate, block anyone else from cooperating, and try to get the investigation transferred top a group that he supervises.

Posted by: Tom | Sep 24, 2008 6:55:04 PM

Gee another corrupt self dealing democrat... what a surprise...

Posted by: joelschlegel | Sep 24, 2008 7:17:40 PM

...if Robinson is still out of jail ...
what makes you think Rangel is going anywhere...thank God it wasn't a white Republican, ....we'd never hear the end of it from the Democrooks.

Posted by: Sam Durham | Sep 24, 2008 7:40:11 PM

Oh, yeah. Go after Rangle... he ripped us all off and took a 15million dollar severance pay and...wait...

Posted by: jc | Sep 24, 2008 7:50:22 PM

Geeee, you mean there was actually anyone left who hadn't seen this hypocrite for what he really is long ago. Amazing how stupid the general population is when it comes to politicians.

Posted by: EOBF | Sep 24, 2008 7:51:55 PM

THANK GOD! ITS ABOUT TIME! After how long? Twenty years of evading income taxes? Not to mention the other things that has come to light. It is strange, no it isn't, that I have heard very little of this on the broadcast news!

If this had been a republican, he would have been run out of town on a rail or he would have tared and feathered along time ago.

Posted by: Curly | Sep 24, 2008 7:57:20 PM

Lets see crooks in congress investigating a crook in congress. Reid and Polosi, Please just save our money and go on TV with and say how baseless the allagations were and you support Rep Rangel instead of spending several million dollars to do it.

Posted by: Bob | Sep 24, 2008 8:15:54 PM

Yeah and on top of all that he used the Congressional parking garage as his private storage of a car, that he took the plates off of.
One crook down, a lot more to go.

Posted by: S Adams | Sep 24, 2008 8:29:45 PM

Geez,this person helps write the tax laws....but has no idea what the tax laws are?Doesn't know to pay in-come taxes on a $500.00 a day condo for 25yrs? And now he is pleading ignorance of the law and throwing himself on the mercy of the court!

Posted by: orangecat | Sep 24, 2008 8:50:13 PM

At last this windbag gets his due - maybe.

Posted by: reggie1298 | Sep 24, 2008 8:54:59 PM

A 10k tax deal, storing a car in a parking garage, improper use of congressional stationary? Are you the same republicans that seem to never think a republican transgression deserves even the slightest investigation?
The Bush administration refuses to testify on anything unless it is "informal, not under oath, and no written or recordings made"
Somehow this is a HUGE scandal though. How long did Cunningham avoid prosecution?

Posted by: Scalliwag | Sep 24, 2008 10:12:22 PM

You are going down Rangel. You are going to the big house with Bubba. Don't forget, don't drop the soap.

Posted by: SteveJJ | Sep 24, 2008 10:31:10 PM

Yeah, but when is the IRS going to get an investigation going ?

Posted by: Ron | Sep 24, 2008 10:35:40 PM

moron republicans , when is the last time a republican ASKED to be investigated?

and additionally , the things he is accused of are fairly innocuous , arent there more important fish to fry? thats the republicans problem ,they are so vindictive and vendetta prone ,especially when they are denied their rip off mentality whims, that the country suffers constantly under their moronic and spiteful "leadership"...what a pitiful and pathetic joke of a political party the republicans are ,have been ,and most likely will be forever. their whole platform is deceive , lie , pass the buck , tax the working man/ corporate tax free ride ,etc etc/ .

did any of you READ the article ,or just knee jerk off a post without even trying to figure out the facts? typical stupid moron republicans.

you are some really stupid people and no wonder your "leaders" do such a terrible job ,they are stupid too.

Posted by: bah | Sep 25, 2008 7:05:37 AM

talk about a tempest in a teacup...and this while the country has REAL problems?

typical republican game plan , divert attention from the real problems ( namely the REPUBLICAN bred financial crisis) and try to get the voter to concentrate on something fairly insignificant overall.

the republicans have ruined all of their parties' credibility and now all they have is nothing...this party has nothing worthy to offer the american voter . evidently the republicans know their trademark is tarnished badly too, they are afraid to even run under the republican name tag, some are trying to get the name
"republican" taken off of their state/local ballots in favor of gop or some other title that they are hoping might make the gullible voter assume they are NOT really republicans.

that shows how low the republicans are , they will stoop ,or crawl or whatever posture they need to stay in office screwing over the american voter and the working man and giving free rides to big business and their rich crony buddies.

PATHETIC , AND UNFORTUNATELY TOO OBVIOUS.... YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED REPUBLITARDS!!!

Posted by: bah | Sep 25, 2008 7:24:15 AM

The law has a nice orange jumpsuit ready for old Charlie Rangel, and a friend called Bubba is waiting for him in jail.

Posted by: Norman | Sep 25, 2008 8:35:38 AM

Charlie - your time is up. Please go. Don't drag the House down with your problems

Posted by: Bob | Sep 25, 2008 8:43:14 AM

If Rangel goes to jail and the 42long
empty suit is president how long do you think it would be before to OBoy pardons
him? Rembember Clinton pardoning Ayers,
(the same Ayers who OBoy doesn't know)
or MArk Rich, a convicted Felon? Don't
worry Charlie you could always get a job
county absentee ballots.

Posted by: MrAMEN | Sep 25, 2008 1:38:50 PM

Whoa - Illegal is Illegal. BAH must stand for "bloviating ass hole"

Posted by: InTheMiddle | Sep 25, 2008 2:06:31 PM

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