In a 333-79 roll call vote, Congressman Charlie Rangel was censured by the U.S. House yesterday for ethics and fundraising violations. Among those supporting the censure was LV Congressman Charlie Dent, a member of the Ethic subcommittee that considered Rangel's conduct. Here's his statement:“As a member of the Ethics Committee, I have carefully reviewed evidence in the matter of Congressman Rangel and believe the Committee’s recommendation for censure is appropriate. While the censuring of a Member of Congress is a rare and significant action, I am confident this is the proper penalty for the House to impose on Mr. Rangel, given the accumulation and totality of his offenses.
"On November 16, a bipartisan adjudicatory subcommittee on which I served found 11 of the 13 counts Mr. Rangel faced were supported by clear and convincing evidence. I believe the most egregious of these offenses included violating the Ethics in Government Act by submitting numerous inaccurate financial disclosure statements and violating the Code of Ethics for Government Service by running a campaign office from a property leased as a rent-stabilized residential apartment.
"I also believe it is appropriate for Mr. Rangel to provide restitution for his failure to pay taxes. As a long time member and former Chairman of the House’s tax-writing committee, Mr. Rangel’s tax violations cannot be ignored.
"Violations like those committed by Mr. Rangel, individually and cumulatively, damage the public’s trust in their elected officials and this institution. However, the House has the opportunity today to restore the American people’s confidence in this body by illustrating that Members of Congress are accountable for their transgressions and will face appropriate penalties for their misconduct.
"Mr. Speaker, while this difficult occasion is by no means a pleasant duty for any of us, it is nonetheless a necessity. Therefore, we now must demonstrate our commitment to high ethical standards by voting to censure Congressman Rangel.”
5 comments:
From Yahoo:
"Beyond the stain on his career, the censure will have little, practical effect. Rangel's seat appears safe as long as he wants it. He received nearly 80 percent of the vote last month when he won his 21st term, and easily won his primary. He remains extremely popular with his House colleagues, greeting them by the dozens as he moves through the Capitol."
Refer to:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101203/ap_on_go_co/us_rangel
This should surely cause corrupt politicians to pause . . . to celebrate.
Bernie, you deserve a prize for coming up with that picture of Wrangel.
Bernie,
Just curious, did Dent put out a statement on why he voted "no" on extending the 2003 tax cuts for taxpayers with income levels under $250k? I would be interested in his reasoning for his vote as I would bet that 95% or more of the voters in his district make less than $250k.
Yes, he did. I'll load it.
Rangel should have been fined, taken out of office and imprisoned like any others of us would have been. He first won office accusing his opponent of the exact same nonsense. Now he still serves (sic)! What the hell is going on in our world these days?
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