Posted on 12/02/2010 3:48:01 PM PST by jazusamo
On the House floor tonight, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) again asserted that he did not personally gain from the acts of which he is accused, notwithstanding the fact that he failed to report, or pay taxes on, rental income received from his Dominican Republic beach house. Rangel seems to believe that if you repeatedly say something, it becomes true, no matter how absurd.
After we exposed this tax evasion, we took an even closer look at Rangel's finances and history. In September 2009, we filed a Complaint with the Ethics Committee alleging that Rangel hid more income from a six-unit brownstone apartment building in Harlem. We have also assembled other information that we have not made public painting a picture of a hustler who has cut corners his entire career.
Rangel turned the microphone over to Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) who referenced Ethics Committee staff director Blake Chisam who said at Rangel's ethics trial that Rangel was "sloppy" and that he saw "no evidence of corruption." Chisam is hardly an independent investigator. (He also has had his own financial problems.) He works for Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), who was handpicked by Nancy Pelosi who has defended Rangel throughout this process. The fact that even the Chisams of the world have to support censure speaks to the seriousness of the charges.
Scott pointed to former Rep. George Hansen (R-ID) who also left information off his financial disclosure forms. Scott did not mention that Hansen went to prison far omissions far less extensive than Rangel's. Other Rangel apologists made reference to former Rep. Tom DeLay, correctly noting that DeLay was never censured by the House. DeLay now faces prison time, prompting the question of why Rangel does not face the same.
This notion that Rangel is somehow being subjected to a harsher penalty than past violators of House rules is just plain wrong. Rangel left off hundreds of thousands in assets and income from his financial disclosure forms for a period of years, representing the most egregious violation of disclosure requirements in the history of Congress. It was not only a violation of House Rules but also a criminal violation of the False Statements Act.
And Rangel has never explained where he got all that money that he did not disclose.
Did he pay back taxes, penalties and interest?
While the IRS won’t disclose, he should be required to answer and also prove payment.
I'm hoping the NLPC will release every detail they've collected as a result of their investigation, and you're right about the rent controlled apt, he profited from it.
King actually defended Rangel?
For the Elites it's always "Us vs. Them." No wonder Charlie looked so smug for someone who should have been worried about being locked up for the rest of his damned life. Same with Maxine Waters.
We can also assume King must have skeletons in his own closet that need to remained locked.
Dis you notice how the House members first voted for the amendment and again when they voted for the censure the chairman took an oral vote and both times said it was his ‘opinion’ that the amendment passed and that the vote for censure failed. Both times he was proven wrong and by a very wide margin. Interesting how the rules allow for that bastard to try and hijack the vote based on his ‘opinion’.
Rep. Gohmert, R., TX. is doing a pretty good job of it now on CSPAN.
I had a video of Murtha pulling the same thing and I couldn't find it but just googled and got it. It's an OUTRAGE!
An Insult to Our Democracy – Murtha denies House vote! – VIDEO
Furthurmore, where is ethics action on dirty Reid? He used $3300 in campaign funds to buy Christmas gifts, for example. There are Tribe Bribes documented. There is a FR who authored a book on Reids criminality...
Man the liberals got sold a bag of crap in this guy.
As he wept and mopped his weary eyes with his silken hankie, he felt so demoralized and beaten down....
*sob*
RULING CLASS BUMP
Yes he did; I watched the entire thing on C-APAN. King also said he would vote NO on the censure.
Our ENTIRE govt. is as corrupt as the Mexican drug lords.
House Votes to Censure Rep. Charles Rangel
Charlie lies.
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