Posted on 12/31/2008 5:11:50 AM PST by Libloather
Charles Rangel paid parking tickets with campaign money
RICHARD SISK
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Tuesday, December 30th 2008, 10:45 PM
WASHINGTON - Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) racked up $1,540 in parking tickets on his Chrysler PT Cruiser and paid for them - legally - with campaign money, his office confirmed Tuesday.
Rangel, who is fighting off a House ethics committee investigation of his taxes, campaign contributions and four rent-stabilized apartments in New York, was hit for multiple parking violations around the District of Columbia since March 2007, Congressional Quarterly reported.
Payments were made from Rangel's campaign committee and his "leadership" political action committee.
A spokesman for the House Ways and Means Committee chairman said there was "nothing unethical" about using donated money to pay the tickets. The spokesman noted that Congress members routinely use campaign money to pay for parking and traffic violations.
Maybe he can pay his taxes with that money too.
Poor Charlie. He wishes to bring back a military draft. And he might as well pay his household electrical bills with campaign funds. Obviously, he thinks its his due given his ancestral line made it through shark infested waters so long ago...
Mr. Rangel seems to have forgotten (or possibly he has never known) that there IS a difference between “illegal” and “unethical”.
There may not be a LAW against him using campaign contributions to pay personal parking tickets, but it is certainly not something that a truly ethical person would do. An honest, etthical, man would either a) avoid getting over $1,500 in fines in the first place by simply parking hia vehicle legally, or b) pay the fines he has racked up from his OWN pocket.
I think that MOST people do not want their contributions to political candidates used for theri PERSONAL “needs”.
While management may be sympathetic about the reasons for the tickets, IRS rules did not allow parking tickets to be expensed, but deemed them all “personal” expenses many years ago.
It doesn't matter whether the vehicle was a company truck or a personal vehicle used in business, it is all on the drivers’ dime.
“Mr. Rangel seems to have forgotten (or possibly he has never known) that there IS a difference between “illegal” and “unethical”.
Mr Rangel probably does not care about ‘illegal’ or ‘unethical’ actions. Liberals don’t care about what is right or wrong -—only changing society to reflect their twisted viewpoint and obtaining power........
When the hell are they going to throw this bum out on his ass. Oh ,I forgot ,he’s black , guess he gets a pass.
“How can he fit behind the wheel of a car?”
He straps his ego on the roof rack.
If so people making payments to politicians should have the politician sign a contract stating how the money should be used and what is expected for the payment. Otherwise a gift made to a person with no strings attached is simply a gift. I fail to see how someone cant attach strings to a gift donated by someone else.
Excellent reply, Farmer Dean! Happy New Year.
He knows, but believes he is above both
Apparently the majority of Rangel’s constituents don’t mind his behavior.
You forget that this is how it is in the real world. In Politico-world, there is no concept called 'personal responsibility' and everything is paid for by non-profits and PACs. With enough money, you can even buy your way up to a federal government position.
What we real-worlders don't voluntarily give them through donations is forced from us via taxes.
In truth, he probably does not.
My comment was making reference to the fact that Mr. Rangel and his defenders seem to interchangeably refer to the legality of his actions and the ethics of his actions, as if they do not know there is a major difference between the two. Claiming something is “ethical” simply because it is NOT illegal is both disingenuous and unethical.
It’s not just Rangel, though. Many other politicians seemt to have the same affliction.
Pelosi will run him out of Congress.
Not.
Only Republicans can be 'unethical'.
That was my first thought. I can't imagine Charley riding in anything less than a Caddilac El Dorado! If he was driving a PT Cruiser - I WANT PICTURES!!!
BUMP!
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