He didn’t embezzle anything. In the real world, it is called “influence-peddling,” “tax fraud” and “concealing assets” and you are fined and go to prison, especially if your have evaded paying taxes on certain income for 17 years. Proof positive that Americans are NOT equal under the law. Black politicians are held to a different, much lower standard.
Oops. Sorry; not a student of the legal definitions, but it seems converting certain monies (not your personal assets) to use for personal gain (getting elected/securing more "donations") would be similar to helping yourself to the bank's money drawer contents, if you were a teller.
Particularly by their own black voters. Rangel will be reelected by his constituents in 2012 by a larger margin than in 2010.