Report: FEC Investigating Rangel For Legal Fees

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Trouble isn't over yet for Rep. Charlie Rangel.

The New York Post reports that the Federal Elections Commission is investigating a complaint made against Rangel, alleging that he illegally used PAC funds to pay lawyers defending him in a House ethics investigation.

Rangel (D-NY) was censured last week by the House, the first member to receive such a punishment since 1983. The censure stemmed from an ethics committee investigation into a series of violations by Rangel, including failing to disclose income and soliciting donations for an educational center using official Congressional resources.

The investigation, requested by Rangel, took two years. Rangel said his legal fees topped $2 million and his lawyers left him before the ethics hearing because they were worried he couldn't pay additional fees. Rangel tried unsuccessfully to get his hearing postponed because he had no lawyers, arguing that he didn't know he could set up a legal defense fund until a few weeks before the trial.

Read more: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/report_fec_investigating_rangel_for_legal_fees.php

[Xenotime]

1. Poor Charlie.

[FBaggins]

2. His lawyers denied the truth of his claim.

Rangel said... his lawyers left him before the ethics hearing because they were worried he couldn't pay additional fees.

The pointed out that they are not permitted to do pro-bono work for a Congressman (IIRC, that's both a legal and congressional ethics issue). Rangel was the one who made clear that he couldn't pay any more.

While legal/ethical guidelines appear to have little weight in Rangel's decision-making tree... his attorneys can be forgiven for working to a different standard.

[smirkymonkey]

3. When are they going to start prosecuting the real criminals in

government? Not that he's 100% without blame, but this is a total witch hunt.

[bemildred]

4. Legislating while black.

I wonder who he pissed off?