It’s hard to believe the House Ethics Committee could be caught off guard by Charlie Rangel, but that sure looks like what just happened.
The committee lawyer began to make his case, at which point the proceeding degenerated into a long diatribe by Rangel against the committee relating to Rangel not being able to afford legal counsel. He lost his lawyers, he claims, because they weren’t confident in his ability to pay legal fees beyond the $2 million he says he already had racked up.
Rangel also claimed that he’d only recently discovered that he could form a legal defense fund to pay for counsel, and suggested it was unconscionable for the committee to proceed with the hearing while Rangel is unrepresented. At that point he declared he was leaving the hearing room.
Before Rangel could leave, however, committee member Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) suggested the committee consider continuing the proceeding to allow Rangel more time to obtain counsel. The committee then quickly decided to move into executive session to deliberate over how to proceed.
Keep in mind now, this investigation is two years old and the hearing has been scheduled for weeks, so Rangel’s argument strains credulity. But for whatever reason, the committee decided to reassess its position. At least for the moment. That’s where things stand now.
Correction: I originally wrote that Rangel had completed his opening statement. Things actually didn’t get that far before the proceedings ran aground over procedural disputes.
