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Rangel misappropriates $393,000

cpwill

cpwill

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Congressman Charles Rangel, whose ethics trial starts tomorrow, appears to have improperly used political-action committee money to pay for his defense.

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.

Washington, DC, 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."..

"Accepting money or payment for legal expenses from any other source, including a PAC, would be a gift and is barred by the House rules," the lawyer said.

The Ethics Committee had no comment. Rangel's office refused to comment on the PAC money.

On top of the $393,000 in PAC funds, records show Rangel yanked $1.4 million from his campaign coffers in 2009 and 2010 to pay the firm Zuckerman Spaeder, his main legal-defense team, and $100,000 in 2009 to pay Davis' firm.

He also spent $147,577 for Washington, DC, lawyer John Kern and $174,303 for Watkins, Meegan, Drury & Co., a firm that offers forensic accounting and legal services.

An eight-member ethics subcommittee of four Democrats and four Republicans will convene at 9 a.m. to hear the 13 charges...
 
This should be interesting. I may have to start watching CSPAN again.
 
cpwill said:
Congressman Charles Rangel, whose ethics trial starts tomorrow, appears to have improperly used political-action committee money to pay for his defense.

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.

Washington, DC, 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."..

"Accepting money or payment for legal expenses from any other source, including a PAC, would be a gift and is barred by the House rules," the lawyer said.

The Ethics Committee had no comment. Rangel's office refused to comment on the PAC money.

On top of the $393,000 in PAC funds, records show Rangel yanked $1.4 million from his campaign coffers in 2009 and 2010 to pay the firm Zuckerman Spaeder, his main legal-defense team, and $100,000 in 2009 to pay Davis' firm.

He also spent $147,577 for Washington, DC, lawyer John Kern and $174,303 for Watkins, Meegan, Drury & Co., a firm that offers forensic accounting and legal services.

An eight-member ethics subcommittee of four Democrats and four Republicans will convene at 9 a.m. to hear the 13 charges...
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Liberals are responsible for Rangel misappropriating this money. Liberals keep on re-electing this no good for nothing crooks and idiots.
 
I cannot believe he just got reelected. They are going to have a fiasco when they have to replace him...
 
I believe it is the members of his congressional district who are responsible for the reelection of Mr. Rangel. If Mr.Rangel does something illegal, he is responsible for his own behavior. Or don't you believe in individual responsibility?
 
When you administer a tax code, then say you didn't know it applied to you, you should get booted.
I guess love is blind when it comes to Rangle and his voters.
 
FederalRepublic said:
I cannot believe he just got reelected. They are going to have a fiasco when they have to replace him...
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The political machine in this area is such a load of ****.

Adam Clayton Powell Jr. held the seat from 1945-71. He was expelled from the House for being a corrupt scumbag, sued to regain his seat, and then continued winning reelection until he was defeated by a young "reformer" named Charles Rangel.

Rangel's been there since 71, and he's a corrupt ****wad too. He'll never lose in the general election (he beat the Republican 80-10 this year), but if he ever finally loses in the Dem primary, it will be to a young "reformer" named... Adam Clayton Powell IV. Can't wait until he's evading taxes and misusing public funds.
 
Red Crow said:
Liberals are responsible for Rangel misappropriating this money. Liberals keep on re-electing this no good for nothing crooks and idiots.
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Forget the idiot voters of his district. How long does it take Pelosi and "the most ethical Congress in history" to jack this bum up on charges and throw him out ? Its been nothing but Pelosi playing politics to push it off until after the midterms all along. She's the bigger disgrace than Rangel .... and the Dems are going to keep her as their House leader, proving that the Dems are corrupt from top to bottom. Free-pass Pelosi ..... the gift that keeps giving !!
 
Eighty Deuce said:
Forget the idiot voters of his district. How long does it take Pelosi and "the most ethical Congress in history" to jack this bum up on charges and throw him out ? Its been nothing but Pelosi playing politics to push it off until after the midterms all along. She's the bigger disgrace than Rangel .... and the Dems are going to keep her as their House leader, proving that the Dems are corrupt from top to bottom. Free-pass Pelosi ..... the gift that keeps giving !!
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I agree with you my friend and had also blamed (in one of my previous posts) Pelosi for taking sides with Rangel while promising "To drain out the swamp", What a joke thsi is. She is another Liberal liar.
 
either way, this circus plus the Waters trial ought to give Republicans a good set of pointers going into 2012.


sometimes I wonder if there shouldn't be a standing rule in Congress that the ethics investigation committee get run by the party out of power; just to keep everyone in power honest.
 
cpwill said:
either way, this circus plus the Waters trial ought to give Republicans a good set of pointers going into 2012.


sometimes I wonder if there shouldn't be a standing rule in Congress that the ethics investigation committee get run by the party out of power; just to keep everyone in power honest.
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Your suggestion has a lot of merit. Meanwhile, the circus is back on CSPAN - I haven't seen it this entertaining since the mid-nineties.
 
Diogenes said:
Your suggestion has a lot of merit. Meanwhile, the circus is back on CSPAN - I haven't seen it this entertaining since the mid-nineties.
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Rangel played his last major card today. As he lost his other attorneys, and now claims no money, the end result is that he has no representation, and "was denied the time to get it". Doesn't matter that its rubbish, and that he knows he is guilty and toast regardless. He can now claim that he was denied a fair process, and his supporters will lap it up. Charley the victim. Those that just reelected him can embrace that all the live-long-day.
 
Eighty Deuce said:
Rangel played his last major card today. As he lost his other attorneys, and now claims no money, the end result is that he has no representation, and "was denied the time to get it". Doesn't matter that its rubbish, and that he knows he is guilty and toast regardless. He can now claim that he was denied a fair process, and his supporters will lap it up. Charley the victim. Those that just reelected him can embrace that all the live-long-day.
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how suprising that a dem congress denied him, right?
 
liblady said:
how suprising that a dem congress denied him, right?
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It was a commission that is 50-50 (4 Dems, 4 Repubs). Were the Dem Congress intent on good-intentions or doing what was right, this matter would have been handled much earlier this year. FYI, Repubs mostly resign, or quickly choose to not seek reelection, whether voluntarily or by pressure from the party (see Mark Foley, Tom Delay, Larry Craig). Dems cling to the bitter end (Rangel, Jefferson, tossed by voters, thank God, and Waters upcoming).

Try again.
 
Eighty Deuce said:
It was a commission that is 50-50 (4 Dems, 4 Repubs). Were the Dem Congress intent on good-intentions or doing what was right, this matter would have been handled much earlier this year. FYI, Repubs mostly resign, or quickly choose to not seek reelection, whether voluntarily or by pressure from the party (see Mark Foley, Tom Delay, Larry Craig). Dems cling to the bitter end (Rangel, Jefferson, tossed by voters, thank God, and Waters upcoming).

Try again.
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sure they do.....lol. enjoy your delusions.
 
Eighty Deuce said:
FYI, Repubs mostly resign, or quickly choose to not seek reelection, whether voluntarily or by pressure from the party (see Mark Foley, Tom Delay, Larry Craig). Dems cling to the bitter end (Rangel, Jefferson, tossed by voters, thank God, and Waters upcoming).
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Very true. Conservatives who misbehave are shunned by all, but Dems who misbehave (Kennedy, Frank) have a good chance of getting committee chairmanships.
 
Hatuey said:
Bob Taft - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ted Stevens - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Taft was not a member of Congress, but rather a Governor, and Stevens was eventaully found innocent. Within 2 months of the charges against Cunningham being first announced, he had announced he would not seek reelection, and within 6 months, and well before a trail, he plead guilty and resigned. He was heavily pressured by his fellow Republicans in both cases. Compare Cunningham to to cold-cash Jefferson. Charges first revealed in 2005. The CBC vocally supports the clown throughout. He's still in Congress until his own constituents throw him out in 2008. Convicted in 2009.

There is perhaps no better example of the fraudulent nature of the Democrats ethical posturing than that of Rep. William Jefferson, who after more than two years of being the target of a federal investigation was finally indicted on Monday. The 16-count indictment includes charges of racketeering, soliciting bribes, money laundering, obstruction of justice, corruption, and conspiracy. The scandal should have major repercussions for the entire Democratic Party, which largely ignored scandal during the 2006 campaign, then afterwards rewarded and protected Jefferson up to the day he was indicted.

.............. With Democrats making ethics the centerpiece of their campaign, the political environment in 2006 should have made it impossible for any embattled Congressman to get reelected. However, while many tainted Republicans were defeated in November, Jefferson (and other embattled Democrats) were reelected. And to top it off, Jefferson was given a standing ovation by the House Democratic Caucus on his return to Congress in January.

In spite of this mounting evidence against Jefferson and her promise to the American people to lead the most open, honest and ethical Congress in history Nancy Pelosi chose to protect Jefferson by effectively shutting down an ongoing ethics investigation into the scandal by refusing to appoint ten Democrats to serve on the 20-member bipartisan ethics “pool.” By “coincidence”, she finally made the appointments... the day after Jefferson’s indictment.
William Jefferson Scandal Taints Entire Democratic Party - Matt Margolis & Mark Noonan - Townhall Conservative
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Hatuey said:
Bob Taft - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ted Stevens - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A noted below... the Dems have put up with corruption from this district for almost 7-decades. The FBI should wiretap the next representative from Day 1.

RightinNYC said:
The political machine in this area is such a load of ****.

Adam Clayton Powell Jr. held the seat from 1945-71. He was expelled from the House for being a corrupt scumbag, sued to regain his seat, and then continued winning reelection until he was defeated by a young "reformer" named Charles Rangel.

Rangel's been there since 71, and he's a corrupt ****wad too. He'll never lose in the general election (he beat the Republican 80-10 this year), but if he ever finally loses in the Dem primary, it will be to a young "reformer" named... Adam Clayton Powell IV. Can't wait until he's evading taxes and misusing public funds.
Click to expand...
 
He NEEDED to fall which brings up the other most important question. Who is getting away from the crimes he is being charged against?
 
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