GOP Circling Rangel in Ethics Probe

Politics

Congressman Charles Rangel is still negotiating Friday to prevent an embarrassing public trial on ethics charges, but Republicans are wasting no time making it difficult for him. The sharks are in the water, and they smell blood – the blood of Charlie Rangel. That’s why a group of Harlem civic leaders are demanding a criminal probe of the ethically wounded congressman.

“It’s time for Mr. Rangel to go. He cannot win reelection because the majority of the people in this district no longer support him,” Pastor Michael Faulkner said. “He has broken our hearts, he has disappointed us, and he has separated us from democracy. He needs to be replaced, right now, and we need to move on.”

It’s not an accident that Pastor Faulkner is leading the call for a criminal probe into Rangel’s actions. He’s a Republican, and he’s running against Rangel – assuming the congressman should win the Democratic primary and show up on the November ballot.

“My first reaction was, ‘why didn’t he resign,’ but since he chose not to resign, he needs to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Pastor Faulkner said.

Rangel has given Faulkner, and those running against him in the Democratic party, a lot to work with.

“We’ve been presented by the investigative committee with 13 very serious allegations relating to Mr. Rangel’s conduct,” Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said.

Those charges allege that Rangel engaged in the following: using congressional stationary to raise money for the Rangel Center for Public Service at CUNY; seeking more than $3 million in federal grants for the center; using government-funded staff and offices for political work; abusing congressional mailing privileges; failing to pay about $10,000 in taxes on his villa in the Dominican Republic; failing to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in investments; using a rent-stabilized apartment as a campaign office; violating the letter and spirit of House rules; and bringing discredit on the House of Representatives.

Bringing discredit to the House is an important charge, because Democrats took control of the House by promising to clean up the swamp. The Rangel charge brings those charges right home to roost.

“I’m prepared to prove that the only thing I’ve ever had, in my 50 years of public service, is service,” Rangel said Thursday night.

On Friday, he was back to his old, defiant self.

“I wish I could talk with you, and for those of you that feel compelled a question, act like you did it,” Rangel said.

Sources told CBS 2′s Marcia Kramer that Rangel met with members of the New York delegation Friday morning, and the ethics committee is meeting again Friday to see if they can put a deal back together to avoid a messy, public trial for the Harlem congressman

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