Rep. Charlie Rangel’s hearing before the House ethics committee begins today, two weeks after he overwhelmingly won re-election from his district in Harlem.
Rangel (D-NY) is charged with 13 ethics violations over allegations that he: (1) used official Congressional stationery and other resources to raise money for an educational center that bears his name; (2) that he made big mistakes on his financial disclosure statements; (3) that he illegally used a rent-controlled apartment for his campaign; and (4) that he failed to report taxable income from a rental villa in the Dominican Republic.
The allegations have surfaced one at a time in the press over the past two years, eventually costing Rangel his position as the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. Rangel has admitted that he filed inaccurate disclosure statements and tax returns, submitted corrected versions and paid back taxes. He also got rid of the rent-controlled apartment he used as a campaign office.
As for the fundraising, Rangel has said he made an honest mistake in using Congressional letterhead. He has also argued that the he was raising money not to personally benefit, but for a “constituent service” that promotes diversity in public service and education for the disadvantaged.
The hearing, which begins today at 9 a.m. ET, is expected to last three to five days. Rangel does not have to be in the room for the entire hearing.
If the congressman is found guilty of the ethics violations, the committee, which is divided evenly between the two parties, will vote on a recommendation for punishment, which can range from admonishment to expulsion. The full House will then vote on that recommendation.
Rangel is not expected to be expelled. Throughout the process, Rangel has vocally maintained his innocence and attacked both the ethics committee and the media. He reportedly refused to settle with the ethics committee (which would have allowed him to avoid a hearing) and in August used a special session to argue his case in a long, impassioned speech on the House floor.
On Sunday, he told NY1, “I’m confident that at the end of the day my constituents’ faith in me, as demonstrated by their overwhelming vote, will be well-founded. But we’ll wait and see what we have to do on Monday.”
Rangel won re-election with almost 80 percent of the vote.
The House ethics committee has a second hearing coming up: that of Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), which is scheduled to begin Nov. 29. Waters is accused of securing TARP funds for a bank associated with her husband. She has said she’s done nothing wrong.
