November 17, 2010
And here’s why…
[Jim Morin / Miami Herald]
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The former chairman of the Ways and Means (aka tax-writing) Committee, Rep Charlie Rangel (D-NY), was convicted of 11/13 counts of ethics violations by the House Ethics Committee.
Guilty Counts – Violation of
1 – Solicitation and gift ban
2 – Code of ethics for government service
4,5 – Postal service laws and franking commission regulations
6 – House Office Building Commission regulations.
7 – The Purpose Law and the Member’s Congressional Handbook.
8 – Letterhead rule.
9 – Ethics in Government Act and House Rule 26.
10 – Code of ethics for government service.
11 - Code of Ethics for Government Service.
12 – The letter and spirit of House Rules listed above.
13 – Conduct reflecting discreditably on the House.
Not Guilty:
Count 3 – Violating the House gift ban (cartoon)
Sanctions hearing Thursday (Nov 18).
Yes, we did!
And you voted us back for more!
REP CHARLIE Palin is disabled RANGEL (full statement follows):
How can anyone have confidence in the decision of the ethics subcommittee when I was deprived of due process rights, right to counsel and was not even in the room? I can only hope that the full committee will treat me more fairly, and take into account my entire 40 years of service to the Congress before making any decisions on sanctions.
Why wasn’t he in the room – he voluntarily walked out. Why wasn’t he prepared – his original defense team (from Zuckerman Spaeder) quit in September.
Not sure what’s happening with what forced him to step down in March – accepting trips paid for by corporations. Not sure it even matters. They delayed the hearing until after he was re-elected – a pretty clear sign they are not going to expel him.
What I can’t understand is why Mr Rangel isn’t being criminally prosecuted.
How many citizens get away with not paying taxes…besides Democrats, like the head of the IRS, Tim TurboTax Geithner?
CBS breakdown of initial charges
CREW: 15 most corrupt members of Congress
From Rep Rangel’s site – links removed from text:
How can anyone have confidence in the decision of the Ethics Subcommittee when I was deprived of due process rights, right to counsel and was not even in the room? I can only hope that the full Committee will treat me more fairly, and take into account my entire 40 years of service to the Congress before making any decisions on sanctions.
I am disappointed by the unfortunate findings of the Ethics Subcommittee. The Committee’s actions are unprecedented in view of the fact that they arrived at without rebuttal or counter evidence on my behalf.
While I am required to accept the findings of the Ethics Committee, I am compelled to state again the unfairness of its continuation without affording me the opportunity to obtain legal counsel as guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.
This unfair decision is the inevitable result of the Committee’s insistence on moving forward despite the absence of any legal representation on my behalf. The Committee elected to reject my appeal for additional time to secure new counsel and thus acted in violation of the basic constitutional right to counsel.
The Committee’s findings are even more difficult to understand in view of yesterday’s declaration by the Committee’s chief counsel, Blake Chisam, that there was no evidence of corruption or personal gain in his findings.
From here forward, it is my hope that the full Ethics Committee will take into consideration the opinion of its chief counsel as well as the statement by Rep. Bobby Scott, a member of its investigatory subcommittee who said that any failings in my conduct were the result of “good faith mistakes” and were caused by “sloppy and careless recordkeeping, but were not criminal or corrupt.”
