Posted on 11/16/2010 1:56:29 AM PST by Scanian
The House ethics trial against Rep. Charlie Rangel began and ended in a flash yesterday, skipping oral argument and any semblance of a defense; the 40-year incumbent now awaits a verdict.
Shed no tears for Charlie: He's a sad old man, but he brought it on himself.
Rangel walked out of the proceedings after just 30 minutes, demanding a delay because he had no lawyer -- and "I don't have the opportunity to have a legal defense fund set up."
(The panel -- rightly -- said no dice.)
But as The Post's Isabel Vincent and Melissa Klein reported Sunday, for the last two years Rangel raided his political action committee, illegally shifting some $393,000 to his lawyers.
On top of all his other transgressions.
And, unlike normal folk, Rangel wouldn't think of digging into his own pocket to pay his bills, as Ethics Chairwoman Rep. Zoe Lofgren suggested. Instead, he asked for "pro bono" lawyers.
In English, "pro bono" means for free; in Rangelese, it means for me.
It's all so pathetic.
It was Rangel's own behavior -- over the course of years -- that triggered the trial in the first place.
His alleged abuses (most first reported by The Post) include underreporting assets and income, using House stationery to solicit funds and leasing four rent-regulated apartments in Harlem.
And don't forget that villa in the Dominican Republic for which he failed to pay taxes.
Rangel's guilt is so clear, says the ethics panel prosecutor, "there are no genuine issues as to any material facts in this case." Indeed, Rangel admitted to them in a House floor speech in August.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Charlie is a fantastic example of a democrat POS!
It’s great ammo.
And he was re-elected. The only way to rid us of his taint will be the IRS.
Is it just me or do Rangel and Barney Frank sound very similar when they talk?? Awful grating voices. Both are crooks too, how fitting. At least their party is out of power for now, even if their idiot constituents insist and always returning them to office.
Charlie was once employed as the night manager of a NYC flophouse. Maybe he can get his old job back.
Note to Charlie: May the farce be with you...
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Right. Rangel is not facing expulsion or criminal charges.
''...Documents corroborated that Mr. Rangel's committee was instrumental in extending a lucrative tax break to Nabors Industries, an oil drilling company, while the congressman was asking its chief executive for a $1 million donation.''
Move along - nothing to see here!
Rangel plays the victim card. The fact is that he doesn’t want to squander anymore money on lawyers.
I hope the IRS goes after him.
Can, but won't. He's a Democrat, after all. They're better than the rest of us.
One major difference, at least you understand Charlie in most cases. Frank talks so fast that it sounds more like he is mumbling.
Yeah, but where's the IRS been? The House investigation has been known for over a year. He's been cheating the revenuers for years.
You and I would have been in Club Fed already....and all our assets confiscated.
I hope we get some kind of reassurance soon that he doesn't have congressional immunity from the long arm of the IRS.
This is how they got Capone....and they can get his little dog, Chuckie, too.....if they want.
Leni
Poor Charlie: If they kick him out of the house, he will not goon food stamps. He has plenty salted away off shore.
Broke my patoot.
It would be stupid for Charlie to spend funds to defend the indefensible, when he knows he still has that old Race Card protecting him.
He’s Black...he could KILL some one...as long as they are white...and STILl be re-elected! NOTHING will happen to him!
>> Frank talks so fast that it sounds more like he is mumbling.
Like he bruised his tongue on something hard.
Charlie has NO LAWYER ON PURPOSE...
Good ol’ Charley just wants his buddies in the Democratic Party to give him the protection they gave Taco Bill run for the border Clinton—and the current FRAUD in the White House.
He wants a Court appointed team of crack attorneys to defend him probono on the taxpayers dime. And he wants his political pals to feel sorry for him and just make it all go away.
too bad he isn’t being tried in Military Court like Col Lakin.
who did not pull a Charley and walk out -but was I hear told
he should be Tased and tossed in th eback of the van.
He jettisoned his law team when it was abundantly clear he was going to be reelected. Why spend the money when the House won’t toss him?
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