Clyburn Hopes Rangel Will Make A Deal

Rep. Rangel last week (AP)

As Rep. Charles Rangel must decide whether to settle the House Ethics charges brought against him or to head to trial, one of his longtime colleagues is hoping the Harlem Democrat can just work out a deal. House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) said on MSNBC that he thought Rangel should admit wrongdoing, "I think that Charlie Rangel made it very clear in all the discussions I had with him...that he was willing to stipulate to all the sworn testimony that [was] made regarding these 13 allegations... Once a stipulation is made like that, the groundwork is there for a resolution to be had short of any kind of trial. So I would hope that we can get this done."

The charges are related to his four (!) rent-stabilized apartments, not reporting income and/or taxes on various properties, sales, using House letterhead to solicit donations for a CUNY graduate school named after him and preserving a tax loophole worth $500 million to an oil executive who pledged a donation to the school.

While President Obama said that he hoped Rangel would "end his career with dignity," a White House spokesman explained the president's remarks, "When it comes to this process, he's just not going to put his thumb on the scale of its outcome," and will let what happens happen. If Rangel heads to trial, he'll have a busy fall—there are a number of primary challengers awaiting him in September.

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By Jen Chung in News on August 3, 2010 11:10 AM

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John L

All these politicians are shitting in their pants because they know that Rangel hasn't done anything they themselves are not guilty of. They're begging that he take a deal to save themselves the hypocrisy of having to condemn him for things they themselves do on a daily basis.

The most serious accusations seem to be the lobbyist charges but that's how this current government works, they're ALL doing business like that. That's why companies pay millions to lobbyists to go "influence" politicians and it's only a matter of time before even the most honest politicians asks these lobbyists for a favor in return and if that favor is a donation to a college that will help his constituents, I find that admirable as opposed to the politicians asking for favors to enrich themselves or family members. Like it or not,. right or wrong, ethical or unethical this happens EVERYDAY from the President's office on down to the city council, whether it's in the form of campaign contributions, or jobs for family members, or donations, or whatever else a politician may feel like asking for.

You know what's unethical the fact that that since 1998 43% of the 198 members of Congress that left their government posts have registered to lobby ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobbying ). Thats what's unethical, that being a politician now is just training to becoming a multimillion lobbyist in the future.

That was Rangel's mistake he should've retired a long time ago, like most of his colleagues, and made $10 million dollars a year as a lobbyists. With the politicians he knows and his experience with the system he could've been a lobbyist for BP and sold out our Gulf Coast for $3 million dollars lived in a mansion instead of those rent controlled apartments and nobody would be wondering how "ethical" he is.

The tax issue is troubling but I can only wonder if we start auditing and investigating every member of Congress what will turn up. Our own Mayor Bloomberg refuses to talk about his offshore accounts estimated to be worth at least $300 million. http://gothamist.com/2010/04/21/report_bloomberg_has_290_million_in.php

So please everyone don't be too hard on these politicians if they only give Rangel a reprimand, they're only setting the precedent to protect their own asses in case they piss off somebody and become a target of an investigation as well.

Angelheaded Hipster

obama says 'i hope he ends his career with dignity'

is he guilty of anything or not? why would you 'hope' he ends his career? classic non-position

JayNYC

I love this new concept of "let's negotiate" when someone rich or powerful has been caught doing something wrong; Rangel, Waters, Sheen, Gibson, Lohan......

When were we allowed to deal and negotiate our criminal punishments? Then again, we can't all be rich famous white girls or powerful Washington movers and shakers.