Ethics & Charlie Rangel

What’s going on?

Congressman Charles Rangel is under fire on Capitol Hill and in the press because of his “questionable” spending habits and failure to pay taxes on several properties he owns in the Caribbean. The GOP demands that Congressman Rangel resign his posting as chair for the House Ways and Means Committee. This Committee is responsible for government oversight and writes tax law. Some of his offenses include failing to report more than 500,000 in assets on his 2007 federal disclosure forms and failing to pay taxes on his villa in the DR. Unfortunately, that’s not all- he solicited donations for an academic center bearing his name back home in Harlem- all of these offenses are in violation of House Rules.

The Congressman sat stone-faced before his colleagues in the House Chamber last Thursday as the Republicans argued their cases for why he should be removed. The Democrats had/ve his back- he is a powerful player in the political circuit. He helped found the Congressional Black Caucus and of course sides on the issues that [we] care most about. mais oui He also founded a summer enrichment program to help young minorities enter the foreign service. (my bias) BUT… "The man who is in charge of writing the nation's tax laws doesn't pay his federal income or property taxes," said Rep. John Carter, R-Texas.
After deliberation the Democrats ceded the issue to the Ethics committee and thus for the moment Charlie will keep the Chairmanship while the investigation continues.

"He is one of the most experienced knowledgeable people in the Congress about health care," Pelosi said. "But even if he weren't, the process here is that the ethics committee reviews the situation and then they make their statement on it, so I think it would be unfair to him to say he should step aside because you're under review."



sources: washingtonpost & cnn




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t.childz