Rep. Charlie Rangel Facing New Ethics Complaint of Improper Use of PAC to Fund Legal Defense

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) facing new ethics complaint, after being accused of using his PAC to fund his legal defense.

Just as Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) wants to put his public humiliation behind him, a new ethics complaint has been made against him. According to the NY Post, the Federal Election Commission is investigating a complaint that Rangel improperly used his National Leadership PAC to fund his legal defense on ethics charges for which he was censured Thursday. Is anyone surprised? Er, I want to know why Wesley Snipes is being hauled off to prison for not paying his taxes and we have a master shyster, like Rangel, accused of doing to same thing, still in Congress?

The FEC is acting on a complaint by the National Legal and Policy Center filed after The Post reported last month that Rangel paid nearly $400,000 from his PAC. Lawmakers are only allowed to use money in their individual campaign funds for legal fees, or they can set up legal defense funds for such costs. Rangel appeared before the House Ethics Committee last month saying he could no longer afford legal counsel after already burning through $2 million.

The center expects to file a second complaint this week contending that Rangel's PAC money included at least $195,000 in donations from lobbyists with business before the House Ways & Means Committee, of which he is a member. Source: NY Post

The truth of the matter is Rangel is arrogant and exudes a sense of entitlement. What I cannot understand is why the people in his district in Harlem keep re-electing him. Surely they must realize Rangel doesn't have their best interests at heart. If he did, he would have stepped aside when the allegations first broke. The president of the United States has a term limit, why isn't the same requirement in place for senators and representatives in Washington? That would seriously cut down on the corruption. Another scummy politician, well ex-politician from New York, Vincent Leibell, is in the news today. He pleaded guilty to tax evasion. He should be denied his pension, since he tried to rip off the government.