Rangel Uses Donations to Pay Parking Tickets

Did you know that donations to politicians can be used to pay off their parking tickets? Apparently embattled Rep. Charles Rangel has paid off some 2007 parking violations (with his PT Cruiser!) in D.C. by using campaign money. A Rangel spokesman said there's "nothing unethical" about that, especially, as the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington points out, "if [the tickets] were incurred during campaign activities or in relation to Rangel’s position as an officeholder." His office told CREW, "Given the holidays and the press of business in preparation for the new administration, we have not reconstructed the circumstances behind each ticket. However, Congressman Rangel is confident that the National Leadership PAC and Rangel for Congress complied with all applicable laws and regulations in connection with these expenses, which were fully reported consistent with FEC requirements.” In NYC, Rangel rides around in a Cadillac DeVille.

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By Jen Chung in News on December 31, 2008 12:18 PM

Comments [rss]

aspiringrapper

Nothing unethical?

How about not parking where you're not supposed to, you douche bag?

Cakemuss

This feels like in cartoons when the villain stops what he's doing to tear a tag off of a mattress or steal a rattle from a baby. Then he looks at the camera to say "what do you expect? I'm the bad guy." I have so many better reasons to be bugged by this Rangel, but I guess it's good to know that he's consistently a douche.

r1b2

Is there no limit to his poor judgement? It's as if he got away with something, saw that this was good, and then tried increasingly harder things to be a bigger scoundrel. It's a shame his legacy is tarnishing so badly.

Toby von Meistersinger

Sorry Charlie. You are just another poster boy for term limits.

jt10000

Jen Chung - are you going to do any reporting on Rangel as a legislator, or is that too boring?

Don't vote for him if you think this story is important in making your political choice...

RedWhiteandBrooklyn

"He may be a crook, but he's OUR crook."

Rangel never "lost" 12 BILLION of our money (in cash) in Iraq.

Rangel never "lost track of" 10,000 rifles, pistols & other assorted weapons (that are being used against our soldiers & Marines) in Iraq.

Rangel never got 4,000+ Americans killed in a meaningless war.

Rangel never sold missles to Hezbollah.

I could go on... but with all of the crime & the billions of our dollars stolen by the republican scum since Reagan, using freely given donations to pay a parking ticket does not rate a story! Rangel does more good in Congress in an average day than Bush has done in eight years.

jpeditor

"Rangel never "lost" 12 BILLION of our money (in cash) in Iraq."

Try again, wizard: That was Iraqis stealing Iraqi/UN oil for food money (AGAIN)::

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/01/30/iraq.audit/

Rangel never "lost track of" 10,000 rifles, pistols & other assorted weapons (that are being used against our soldiers & Marines) in Iraq.

a/ Our troops were too busy moving 500 tons of Yellowcake that Rangel and other Rats said didn't exist:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25546334/

b/ like you give a crap about our troops, cause you sent them so many care packages and you never supported / marched with jihadists and communists with American flag-draped caskets in the streets...

"Rangel never got 4,000+ Americans killed in a meaningless war."

Like I said, thanks for your support for our troops. and "meaningless"? Tell it to these allies of Rangel:

http://clinton.senate.gov/speeches/iraq_101002.html

"If we fail to respond today, Saddam and all those who would follow in his footsteps will be emboldened tomorrow by the knowledge that they can act with impunity, even in the face of a clear message from the United Nations Security Council and clear evidence of a weapons of mass destruction program."

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/02/17/transcripts/clinton.iraq/

More "meaningless "Rats on Iraq here:

http://www.freedomagenda.com/iraq/wmd_quotes.html

"Rangel never sold missles to Hezbollah."

No Syria, Russia and Iran did, and obviously you are their friend.

"I could go on...

BLAH BLAH BLAH...

"but with all of the crime & the billions of our dollars stolen by the republican scum since Reagan"

MADOFF WAS A DEM DONATING TO MOSTLY LEFTIST CAUSES.

BLAGO IS A RAT SELLING A SENATE SEAT.

"using freely given donations to pay a parking ticket does not rate a story! Rangel does more good in Congress in an average day than Bush has done in eight years."

Rangel wanted to bring back the draft...Rangel is a thief.

Scout1

And this is relevant to this post in what way? BTW, it goes without saying that Rangel does more in Congress than Bush because Bush is not a Congressman. Anyway, it seems like a sliver of an opening to crowbar in a Bush bash.

JenChungsBaby

He may be a crook, but he's OUR crook. You don't just oust the Chair of the Ways and Means Commission if you know what's good for you.

That being said, it would be a lot easier to believe him about the parking ticket thing if he didn't act like such a self-entitled douchebag in so many other ways.

smacky

Can we oust this jerk yet?! Enough already!

glennQNYC

Rangel is a crook, but the appalling part is that we pay for our politicians' parking tickets?!?

How much effort would you devote to avoiding tickets if your didn't have to pay the penalty?

drewo

Can't pin anything on this guy. Congressman Wrangle can get out of any sticky situation!

Steven

Rangel is sure doing good by himself. He has to be laughing at his constituents for being idiots.

kissel

his constituents are such fools for voting this guy in once again. you get what you deserve, i guess... unfortunately we all have to suffer for their decisions.