Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) told reporters on Tuesday that the decision by the ethics committee that Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) was guilty on 11 ethics counts was “sad” for a man he called a longtime friend.
“This is what happens sometimes in life,” Engel said. “I’m sorry to see this happen.”
“It is sad, he’s been in office for 40 years,” he added.
Engel said that the ethics violations that Rangel was found to guilty of were very serious.
“Certainly the things he was found guilty of are not things you can just excuse away, they’re very serious, very serious charges,” Engel said.
The committee ruled that Rangel was guilty on 11 of the 13 violations on which he was originally charged. The recommendations of the subcommittee will now be sent forward to the full ethics committee, which will vote on what punishment to recommend for Rangel to the full House.
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