Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) on Monday filed a lawsuit against six lawmakers, contending that evidence was withheld in the House ethics probe that ultimately led to his 2010 censure.
Rangel’s complaint, filed in a U.S. District Court in Washington, named Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), the chairwoman of the House Ethics Committee at that time. His suit alleged that the committee withheld evidence that could have exonerated him. It also named House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), who the complaint said is “essential to effectuate relief.” Boehner was not speaker at the time and is not being accused of any wrongdoing. Rangel claims Boehner can purge the record.
The New York Democrat was censured in 2010 by the House of Representatives for several ethics violations that included the failure to pay taxes for 17 years on income generated by rent from a villa in the Dominican Republic. But his suit alleged that the investigation was replete with “numerous, flagrant, knowing and intentional violations” of his due process rights.
h/t USA Today
Correction: This post has been updated to indicate that Boehner is not being accused of wrongdoing in the lawsuit.
