New York congressman squeezing donors?

The Democrats' takeover of the House in 2006 transformed Rep. Charles B. Rangel, D-Manhattan, into one of the three most powerful members of the body. It made the 38-year incumbent the new chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Before that he gained prominence mainly as a gravelly-voiced Sunday talk show guest and as the powerless ranking Democrat on ways and means. Now all that's changed.

Under the Constitution, all tax measures -- adding or cutting -- must originate with the committee that Rangel dominates. The committee also holds sway over Social Security, Medicare, and some aspects of Medicaid. In addition, Rangel controls legislation on international trade such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, and Chinese imports.

On Tuesday, the Washington Post disclosed that Rangel "is soliciting donations from corporations with business interests before his panel, hoping to raise $30 million for a new academic center that will house his papers when he retires."

“The New York Democrat," the Post said, "has penned letters on congressional stationery and has sought meetings to ask for corporate and foundation contributions for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at the City College of New York, a project that caused controversy last year when he won a $1.9 million congressional earmark to help start it.

Republican critics dubbed the project Rangel's ‘Monument to Me.’”

Kevin Smith, spokesman for the House Republican leadership, called Rangel's tactics "another example of the hypocrisy of House Democrats who famously promised to 'drain the swamp' in Washington."

The Post noted that the House Ethics Manual says that official House resources, specifically including stationery, "must be used for the performance of official business of the House, and hence those resources may not be used for campaign or political purposes." The manual later states, "Official stationery, like other official resources, may be used only for official purposes."

Does Rangel's desire to discuss the new center constitute "official business"?

The story about Rangel's use of House stationery to ask potential donors to discuss "his vision" for the center broke just as Rangel was trying to brush back issues dealing with his rental of four highly coveted rent-restricted apartments in Manhattan from one of the town's most powerful developers.

Rangel has said he did nothing wrong relative to getting the apartments, but has declined to comment about the use, or misuse of official House resources.

Calls for an official House Ethics Committee probe of Rangel have come not just from House Republicans, but from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW.

"It's not a close call," said Melanie Sloan, CREW's executive director. "He's clearly violated the rule against using the letterhead."

One question is whether House Republicans will file a formal request with the House Ethics Committee. Since 1997, House rules have barred the committee from considering a complaint from an outside group such as CREW.

The House has created the skeleton of an outside body to consider non-congressional complaints, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who has been cool to ethics reform hasn't appointed members to the independent body. Neither for that matter has House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, R-Ohio., in spite of what GOP spokesman Smith said about Democratic "hypocrisy."

Do you think there will be an ethics probe of Rangel before this November's congressional elections?

---  Douglas Turner
       

       
          

Comments

[Don H]

Most politicians are just like Rangel. Their first obligation is to themselves and the private interests they represent, all the while imagining that their ideas and actions are indispensible to the good of the country.

[Chancellor Carlyle Roberts, II]

Rangel's the guy that wants to bring back the draft.

But, the American sheeple being what they are will continue voting for guys like this.

[Martin Van Buren]

Rangel's move is as corrupt as anything the Republicans did when they held congress.

Jon Powers has accepted over $10,000 from Rangel with more on the way in a fundraiser next month. Powers like Rangel has paid his rent with in an illegal way and has to be held accountable for it.

Powers should give Rangel's dirty money back or donate it to charities in Buffalo for homeless veterans.

[Art Klein]

Interesting slant on the subject of responsibility and records.

I do believe that each Presidential Library entails a lot of use of official mail and use of civil service staff. Most of the archives of government were considered part of the public record and available to the public until 9/11/01 and are stored and inventoried by government employees. Unfortunately everything in the past eight years will probably be sealed for a hundred years or Armageddon which ever occurs first so we will have to rely on the books of the participants which now form a torrent.

But entwining an unfortunate decision by Rangel and a giant New York land lord and whether his records should be handled as official business is not being honest.

Should the records of a black man who served his country with distinction and honor, in uniform during WWII, enjoyed the benefits of the GI bill, then was elected to congress during the civil rights and assassinations era through Viet Nam’s agony, the Republican Revolution and now to is ascension to a real seat of power… should these records be preserved by our nation or should Rangel seek a private foundation to store the material?

I have a problem with the examination of the minutiae of every public figure as this is conducted nowadays. We have turned public life into an endless scrutiny of every decision and aspect of being.

Let us turn to results and capability rather than whether the incumbent had lunch with the wrong person.

Rangel has been so accurate so often and so prescient about outcomes I really think he understands government better than nearly all his colleagues. He certainly understands most things better than the President. But then, who doesn’t

[Mike]

Why aren't people asking for Jon Powers to return the money Rangel gave him. Powers entire campaign is about "leading by example" but he is taking hundreds of thousands from outside the district and taking money from a congressman who has all kinds of ethics violations. Jack Davis has 100% of his money from ny26.

And one more thing...both Powers and Rangel have used campaign funds to pay for their rent; Powers is acting like a career politician already.

[Texas Kid]

Anybody suprised by something like this needs to get their head out of their you know what. Republicans do it...shouldn't be a suprise that Democrats do it now that they're back in power. One thing about Buffalo and WNY people, they put too much faith in politicians to solve their ills. Big mistake!!

[tom]

Rangel is one of the more repugnant bullies you could ever meet. I had the misfortune of running into him years ago at Sylvia's restaurant in Harlem. It was clear that the role of the rest of us was to kiss his ring. It is no surprise he has been caught red handed abusing the public trust. Unfortunately he is a hero to much of his constituency and has his position for life. We get the government we (the voters) deserve !