Rumblings Over Representative Rangel's Rent

The NY Times' revelation that Representative Charles Rangel has four rent-stabilized apartments put the Congressman on the defensive yesterday. Rangel held an unusual sidewalk press conference, where he got testy with the NY Times reporters when not insisting his apartment situation was not so strange or a special favor--"Paying the legal rent is not a gift"--from his building's owner, the Olnick Organization which has in other cases kicked out rent-stabilized residents in favor of charging market rate rents. He said, "I don't see anything unfair about it, and I didn't even know it was a deal."

Rangel explained that two of the units were already combined when he first got them and that about 10 years ago, the apartment next door became available and the Rangels took it over. Per the NY Times:

“I got that apartment and I used that as my den and my office,” he said. “When I came in late at night from Washington I’d go in there first. It’s a studio apartment. It has its own kitchen and bathroom and no bedroom.”

He added: “I’m not apologizing to anyone for that.”

Rangel also said, "It is none of The New York Times' business where I decide to live.... Nor is it The New York Times' business how much space I think I need." He was also upset that the Times described his apartment as a penthouse because it's not; in fact, the Times noted that the apartment was called a "penthouse" in a book he and his wife apparently cooperated with--Style and Grace: African Americans at Home--while it's really on the second-from-the-top floor.

Rangel did say he would look into whether using another rent-stabilized apartment as a re-election office was improper. The House Ethics Committee is looking into whether the rent savings Rangel received--an estimated $30,000/year-- could be considered a prohibited in-kind contribution.

While residents and consultants alike were mixed on what this means for Rangel, the NY Times and NY Post both have editorials criticizing him. The Times writes, "On the most basic level, that means three or even four renters missed out in favor of a congressman who has a net worth of $566,000 to $1.2 million," and the Post recalls that Rangel ousted Adam Clayton Powell because Powell "enjoyed a sense of personal entitlement and declared that he didn't much care what anyone else thought of it."

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By Jen Chung in News on July 12, 2008 5:33 PM

Comments [rss]

matty

has anyone made the point that sometimes he slips through the space/time vortex and occupies all three apartments at once? Cause I think that is what is being overlooked here.

Pull My Finger

Wow double standards from democrats, I am so shocked.If this was a republican you all would be calling for them to drawn and quartered. I am so shocked...not!

rosweed

The NY Times editorial today about this issue nails it. Gov. David Paterson is also a beneficiary of the gifts that aren't gifts. I don't think this a left-right issue. It's just plain greed.

ides_of_march

Curachita, learn to read; I wrote rent contolled and stabilized.

westernqueensland

When you find a politician that doesn't take favors, that'll be the news. This guys been there since forever, and he's just reaping politico-frequent-feeder-points.

westernqueensland

When you find a politician that doesn't take favors, that'll be the news. This guys been there since forever, and he's just reaping politico-frequent-feeder-points.

west side Michael

What happened to my comment about needing MORE

Rent Controls for we suckers that have jobs

in this city that cant afford a million dollar

one bedroom apartment in Brooklyn or Chelsea?

Be nice to us or else we spit in your soup.

JacqueMehoff

God Bless you Congressman Rangel,

you served our Country and went above and beyond what's called of you.

NannyState

Nobody really needs an apology from His Highness, we just need him to enjoy his cheap apartments as an out-of-office greedhead.

cucarachita

The least he could have done while living in those apartments is help out the rest of us who are lucky enough to have rent stabilized apartments, and make sure we get to keep ours and not be harassed by our landlords!

BTW rent-stabilized is not the same as rent-controlled, ides of march. Get it straight.

cucarachita

All they have to do is figure out what Olnick gets out of letting have four apartments like that. If they benefit from doing him that favor, it's a gift. Duh.

Spirit of 76

No, he's not like Marie Antoinette. More like Leona Helmsley. "Only the little people pay fair market rent." His constituents will still forgive him. When all's said and done, he may be a crooked politician, but he's their crooked politician.

jnguy

Crook!

Despite whatever it is that he has done for NYC and his community (people seemed supportive in the last post), that doesn't entitle him to break the rules.

smacky

Such a politician. Well, say hello to "retirement". What a knucklehead

babyhitler

the difference between a democrat and a republican is that a democrat says he won't screw you in the ass but does. A republican says he will screw you in the ass but very gently, but of course he reams your ass. In the end you'll get screwed in the ass hard no matter what.

ides_of_march

So what if he's paying the rent? Those apartments are rent controlled/stabilized for people on the bottom of the economic ladder, not some well to do congressputz.

Another brilliant social program that does nothing to help the people they claim to champion.

Wrangle gets this yera's Marie-Antionette screw-the-poor award.