Last year, the Daily News reported that Congressman Gregory Meeks, who represents the 6th District in Queens, took a $40,000 loan from a local businessman without any paperwork—and allegedly without any interest or a repayment schedule—in 2007. While he paid it back, Meeks admitted that it was an "oversight" that he didn't list it on his disclosure forms. Well, now a Congressional investigative report suggests that he probably did violate federal law. more ›

Right now, the House Ethics Committee is deciding how to punish longtime member Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem) for his ethics violations, which include his multiple rent-stabilized apartments, attempts to get donations for a City College school being named after him and various financial problems. Rangel issued a statement this morning, saying, "The Committee has not met its burden of proof in presenting clear and convincing evidence that Charlie Rangel has deviated from his sense of duty to this Body and this great country," but adding, "I hope my four decades of service merit a sanction that is in keeping with and no greater than House precedents and also contains a drop of fairness and mercy." more ›

Yesterday, Rep. Charles Rangel walked out of his House Ethics hearing, after begging his colleagues for a postponement so he could find a lawyer. As the Washington Post reports, "No, they said, and quickly began deliberations, saying the facts were so clear they didn't need to call witnesses." The panel, made up of four Democrats and four Republicans, deliberated for hours yesterday and will continue deliberations today. Update: Rangel was found guilty of ethics violations; more details below. more ›

Rep. Charles Rangel, the long-serving Harlem Democrat facing numerous House ethics violations, took to the floor of the House of Representatives and gave a rambling 30-minute speech telling his colleagues (and America!) that he's not resigning: "Hey, if I was you, I may want me to go away too. I am not going away. I am here... You're not going to tell me to resign to make you feel comfortable. And for those who disagree, I'm sorry, but that's one thing you can't take away from me." Naturally, the GOP must be pretty happy! more ›

Rep. Charles Rangel marched in yesterday's Dominican Day Parade and when he wasn't telling kids to stay in school— "No escuela. No dinero. No school. No money"—he did tell the Daily News, "It's not over till it's over - and negotiations can proceed before and during the so-called hearing." Yet he wouldn't confirm whether he already signed a deal that Republicans nixed. more ›

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." more ›

In an interview to be broadcast tomorrow and Monday, President Obama tells CBS News that the ethics charges that Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem) are "very troubling" and says he hopes Rangel will end "his career with dignity." However, Obama didn't give a timetable—which is just as well, since a source told Politico that the longtime House member "doesn’t give a damn about what the president thinks about this" and isn't resigning. more ›

Nearly two years ago, the NY Post put a photograph of a dozing Rep. Charles Rangel in beach fashion on its cover—the picture was taken while Rangel was relaxing at his vacation villa in the Dominican Republic. Rangel earned rental income on it, but only "sporadically" reported it on his taxes. Now, the once powerful Congressman from Harlem has been hit with 13 House Ethics violations—including ones related to the villa—so it was a perfect opportunity to run the photo again. more ›

Since the settlement talks between the House Ethics Committee and Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem) have either fizzled out or are too preliminary to be binding, the House rolled out the ethics charges against the long-serving Congressman. Politico reports, "The headliner allegations are that he improperly solicited money from corporate officials and lobbyists for the Charles B. Rangel Public Policy Center in New York, that he failed to disclose hundreds of dollars of income and assets on financial disclosure forms, that he maintained multiple rent-stabilized apartments in violation of New York City rules and failed to pay income taxes on a Dominican island resort home." more ›

Will today be as bad as the day he survived an attack from the Chinese during the Korean War? It's too soon to tell, but things might be looking moderately okay for Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem) now that he may have settled: WCBS 2 reports that he "cut a deal to admit to ethical wrongdoing and avoid a potentially humiliating public trial. Harlem friends of Rangel tell CBS 2 they have been told that the details could be unveiled when the House Ethics Committee meets Thursday afternoon." And the AP says Rangel's lawyer negotiated the deal. more ›

Rep. Charles Rangel, the long-serving Democratic Congressman from Harlem, is reportedly still in talks with the House Ethics Committee to settle charges ahead of today's trial. However, there's a big sticking point: Rangel apparently doesn't want to admit he did anything unethical. A source told the NY Post, "He feels, I think very strongly, that he has not done anything that was wrong." more ›

Two days before the House ethics committee is scheduled to release details of violations it is charging Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem) with, the embattled Congressman is reportedly trying to make a deal. The Daily News reports that when House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland) was asked about about the "closed-door talks on whether Rangel will accept a wrist-slap deal to avoid an 'adjudicatory process' similar to a trial," he said "everyone would like this to go away." more ›

Eric Massa's alleged tickling, groping and cruising hobbies have gained some FBI attention. The Feds have joined the investigation against the former Representative after the House Ethics Committee announced yesterday that they would look into how Nancy Pelosi's office handled complaints against Massa. The Committee said in a statement that they are investigating whether Massa was "offensive, inappropriate [and] created a hostile work environment," and whether "monies or other payments may have been misappropriated or otherwise fraudulently or improperly distributed or received." more ›

Inquiries are being made both internally and externally following yesterday's report of Charles Rangel's latest tax headache--this time surrounding questions of Rangel taking an "homestead" tax break on his D.C. home by claiming it was his primary residence--while primarily residing in Harlem at the time. The Post reports that watchdog group National Legal and Policy Center is filing a House Ethics Committee complaint against the congressman. And Rangel's own lawyer announced that his (in)famous accountant will review the situation, telling the Times, “The New York Post has raised a question about the tax treatment of a property the Rangels once owned. The property was sold more than eight years ago and we have asked Congressman Rangel’s accountant to retrieve the records about it.” more ›

While they're not trying to, uh, agree on a bailout plan for financial firms, two Democrats and two Republicans are investigating Representative Charles Rangel for the House Ethics Committee. The Post reports that Rangel has "crossed paths" with the four men, not surprising given how long he's served. And his relations with them range from Rangel contributing to one's campaign fund (that would be Gene Green, D-Texas) to someone who has wanted an investigation into the Harlem congressman for a while (Doc Hastings, R-Washington). And on Tuesday, the Washington Post said Rangel should stay put, as the ethics committee gets working, "If it's death by a thousand cuts, [then Rangel] has 994 to go." more ›

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.” more ›