Congressman Rangel Faces 13 Ethics Charges

Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) has been a feature on Capitol Hill for 40 years. In that time, he has done a great many things for his constituents in Harlem, for the people of New York and the citizens of the US. He has also run a rather shady looking political-economic machine, and the results are finally biting him in the backside. The House Ethics Committee read out 13 charges against him yesterday, and it looks like a trial in the House is coming up after the summer recess. Mr. Rangel has one last service he can render; he can resign.

Some of the charges are infractions of House rules that are really not that big a deal. Improper use of government mail service and letterhead could reasonably be, as Mr. Rangel maintains, simple mistakes. Other charges go beyond violation of House rules and on to violation of statutes. Using a rent-controlled apartment for an office, failing to report $600,000 of income on financial disclosure reports, and not paying taxes on a home in the Dominican Republic are of this kind. Soliciting funds for a college center to be named for him, though, appears to be the big issue as this would be influence peddling.

His lawyers issued a statement that read in part, "He did not target for solicitation foundations, corporations or individuals with business before the Ways & Means Committee [of which he was chairman], nor did he offer or provide preferential treatment or favors to potential contributors. He received no prohibited benefit, direct or indirect, from his work on behalf of this program that violates the ethics rules." However, investigators have found that he hit AIG up for donations while AIG was lobbying Congress over tax and trade issues. His committee would have been in the center of it all.

Naturally, the GOP is thrilled to pieces over this. The Ethics Committee show trial will offer them a chance to hide their own corruption behind a public viewing of his. And of course, the sanctimonious tone struck is one well-beloved on the American right. "Credibility is what's at stake here; the very credibility of the House itself before the American people," said Congressman Mike McCaul (R-TX) the ranking GOP member on the Ethics Committee. Mr. McCaul is squeaky clean and has a record of fighting corruption before he got to Congress, but other Republicans are less virtuous.

Mr. Rangel most assuredly doesn't want to go out with a whimper; as a combat vet from the Korean War (Purple Heart, Bronze Star), that is not his style. He has a huge ego (most politicians do), and it is difficult for him to believe a deal cannot be cut at this late date. However, the GOP is not going to let go of this, and he has become a liability to his party. At 80 years old, Mr. Rangel ought to claim ill-health and resign. His accomplishments will outshine his departure if he moves quickly.

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