Rangel Used PAC Money for Legal Defense (Update!)

His ethics trial is soon to begin and I can't wait to see this schmo attempt to defend himself!! His time has finally come.

New York Rep. Charles Rangel, whose ethics trial starts Monday, appears to have improperly used political-action committee money to pay for his defense, The New York Post reported Sunday.

Rangel tapped his National Leadership PAC for $293,000 to pay his main legal-defense team this year. He took another $100,000 from the PAC in 2009 to pay lawyer
Lanny Davis. Two legal experts told The Post such spending is against House rules. "It's a breach of congressional ethics," one campaign-finance lawyer said.

What part of ILLEGAL seems to be confusing Rangel??? My God! This man is the poster boy for what is wrong with our system!!!

Washington, D.C., political lawyer Cleta Mitchell said there is "no authority for a member to use leadership PAC funds as a slush fund to pay for personal or official expenses." Leadership PACs are typically used by politicians to donate money to other candidates.

But Rangel seems to have run afoul of House ethics rules. Lawmakers are generally allowed to use campaign cash to pay their lawyers, but this is limited to money in their personal campaign committee and they must ask permission first, the campaign-finance lawyer said. "The only campaign funds that a member may use to pay for congressional expenses are funds of his or her principal campaign committee -- not the funds of a leadership PAC or a multicandidate committee," according to the House Ethics Manual.

www.foxnews.com...

Let the grilling begin!!!! I'll take my Rangel Burger extra crispy!!

The "progressive" statists are the absolute worst about this kind of fraud. Their mindset is that "I am in charge. I tell you what to do and how to run your life and how much you will pay in taxes and what rules you will follow. You or nobody else will tell me anything. I am above you and I am above the rules I dictate for everyone else."

Charlie Rangel sat on the House Ways and Means Committee for years and is now trying to pretend that his tax dodging is simply a matter of "poor bookkeeping." At best, this means he is an idiot and should not be in charge of US tax policy, much less a US congressman. At worst, he is a perjurer and an income tax evader, in addition to having committed fraud thru the direct use of his public office.

These people are the worst mankind has to offer, because they attempt to cloak themselves in socially acceptable labels, but are the most vicious, hateful and antihuman people out there.

"Liberal" & "progressive" are terms that should be synonymous with "psychopath".

UPDATE! Rangel, who originally wanted to represent himself, requested a trial delay so he could seek a lawyer to represent him. REQUEST DENIED! This case was already delayed long enough for Rangel to get reelected. Amazing!

Time to move forward and for him to step down. It is a shame to see all of the wasted resources that were spent to get him reelected in the first place. Now the truth will come out after the fact. Mind numbing!!

House ethics committee lawyers on Monday presented their case requesting summary judgment against New York Rep. Charles Rangel after the panel denied the congressman's request to delay the trial so that he could get a lawyer to defend him against 13 charges of financial and fundraising misconduct.

Outlining the case, lawyers accused Rangel -- and showed video of his own admission of violating rules -- of misusing official stationery to solicit private donations. Other charges included receiving benefits from private donors that "reasonable people could conclude" was aimed at influencing his votes, violations of franking rules, violations of House rules on the use of official resources to solicit donations, accepting benefits from his landlord and individuals from whom he could derive benefit and failure to uphold federal tax laws.

He claims that he can't afford a lawyer. WTF! 50 years of public service, freebies, perks and abuse and now he is flat broke. Really?? Now he is worried about violating ethics rules. Of course. Now the nation is watching!

Infusing normally dry proceedings with high drama, the 20-term lawmaker said his "50 years of public service is on the line" because he can't afford to get a lawyer and offers for a pro bono defense would violate House ethics rules.

He has had plenty of time to prepare for this case and had plenty of time and resources to get reelected. Hmmm?? Now he is just trying to play the system just a little bit more.

Rangel, 80, then said he had to excuse himself from the hearing.

Ethics panelists then met in closed session to discuss the Harlem Democrat's request for what amounts to a continuance in the case, but came back and denied the request saying Rangel had ample time to prepare his defense.

"We recognize that Mr. Rangel has said he will not participate, as is his right," said committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., adding that "no conclusion of the facts of the matter can be drawn by Mr. Rangel's decision to refuse to participate in this hearing."

However, House ethics committee panelists agreed it was "fundamentally unfair" and "an astonishing display of professional irresponsibility" for Rangel's defense team to drain the congressman's resources to pay for his defense and then withdraw on the eve of the hearing.

Ohhh! Charlie!!

www.foxnews.com...

Here is an abridged version of the democrat congressional / political playbook:

1) Conspire to commit a crime
2) Commit the crime,
3) Revel in the notion that you got away with it
4) Get caught
5) Hide/destroy evidence (including threatening & killing potential witnesses)
6) Attempt to pass a law retroactively making your crime legal
7) Implicate others and suborn perjury
8) Play the race / gender card
9) Blame your defense team, accountants, advisors, etc.
10) Claim physical/mental distress
11) Obtain as many continuances / changes of venue / mistrials as possible
12) Take a plea deal,
13) Admit to no actual wrongdoing or culpability in the issue in question.
14) Begin again at step #1

reply to post by MMPI2


I think that would go for ALL politicians.

What can I steal?
How fast can I steal it?
How can I deny I stole it?

There was a piece of advise given to a Chicago politician back in the 1880's that goes, "Don't steal anything big. Stick to the small stuff and no one will notice."

reply to post by jibeho


This man is unbelievable and when he argued that he could not afford a lawyer? It just disgusts me, what some of our so called representitives do behind out backs. This man has been in office for 30 years now, unbelievable.

I know that this man is still trying to fight his defense but the evidence, 2 years in the making, something like 50 witnesses, testimonials? And now he's using tax money for his defense? Why didn't he set up a legal fund like everybody else??

I'm trying to find that video where Rangel claims he cannot afford a lawyer but then walks out with another individual following him who is a high ranking lawyer. It was on Anderson Cooper, I'll try to look for it. We need to make examples of politicians like this. We need to show voters the consequences of voting in the same people, the same political parties time and time again. There needs to be a change. Rangel is just the tip of the iceberg I assure you.

reply to post by Southern Guardian


Rangel is all about the drama. I'm sure he still has a couple of cards up his sleeve. Fortunately, the committee is not buying his load of malarkey and they will proceed with our without him. Getting reelected was more important to Rangel than defending himself against iron clad charges.

Term limits anyone??!! This should be the next big issue addressed on The Hill.

Just breaking!!!! Rangel convicted on at least 11 of the 13 counts against.

Sentencing had better be swift and certain!! This decision could have easily occurred BEFORE THE ELECTION!!!!!!

It took one day to find the s.o.b. guilty.

news.blogs.cnn.com...

Originally posted by jibeho
Just breaking!!!! Rangel convicted on at least 11 of the 13 counts against.

Sentencing had better be swift and certain!! This decision could have easily occurred BEFORE THE ELECTION!!!!!!

It took one day to find the s.o.b. guilty.

news.blogs.cnn.com...

I believe that even though he has been caught red-handed, all they can (or will) do to him is give him a written reprimand or a censure. They will NOT fine him, or do anything that would truly compromise his position.

Secondly, he won again in his district by a frigging landslide. The people that keep electing him are as corrupt as he is. They are hard-core democrats - what else would you expect!

I would bet that he'll be back in a chair position by the end of the year.