House Ethic Committee to Look at Rangel's Dealings

The House Ethics Committee voted to begin an inquiry on Representative Charles Rangel's actions. Rangel's use of Congressional letterhead to solicit donations for a center being built in his honor, multiple rent-stabilized apartments, unreported income from a second home, and other unreported income from property sales have put the powerful Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee under the microscope (in many of the cases, Rangel has pleaded ignorance). Rangel's lawyer said, "We look forward to fully cooperating with the ethics committee, which we had previously asked to look into these matters. We hope and trust that the ethics committee will find that Mr. Rangel has done nothing intentionally wrong, which we firmly believe.”