Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), who announced today that he will take a leave of absence from the chair of the Ways and Means Committee, told a group of reporters that he did so in order not to hurt his fellow Democrats’ chances this November.
“I had told the speaker last year many months ago that if my issues were going to impede the election of the Democratic party, then I would be glad for her to entertain a leave of absence,” Rangel said this afternoon.
“I think that if the Speaker accepts my request to take a leave of absence, politically, I think that that should take care of the political problems.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released a statement earlier today accepting Rangel’s request for a leave of absence.
Rangel was admonished last week by the House ethics panel for taking trips to the Caribbean that were paid for by corporations.
Additional reporting by Brian Beutler
