Arrogant Rangel Continues to Flout the Law

Honestly, who can blame him? He knows the Democrats won't do anything to him, he'll continue to be re-elected by overwhelming margins and he can just turn around and whine that the New York Post is hounding him and the lemmings will lap it up.

I'm seriously considering changing my political affiliation to Democrat. Then I too can get away with breaking the law and not face any punishment, right?

Three months after Rep. Charlie Rangel admitted he improperly converted a rent-stabilized apartment into his political campaign office - and promised to give it up - the embattled pol still has not moved out.

For the past decade, Rangel's political operation has been headquartered in a $682-a-month, one-bedroom apartment at Lenox Terrace - the same Harlem building where he has three other rent-stabilized apartments for personal use.

And even with the furor over his sweet rental deals continuing, Rangel doesn't plan to move his operations to a $4,000-a-month renovated brownstone at 193 Lenox Ave. until mid-October, according to his lawyer, Josh Galper.

The lease on the current apartment at 40 W. 135th St. expires Oct. 31.

On July 14, Rangel said he'd vacate the office, amid revelations about his cluster of rent-stabilized apartments.

"He was disingenuous at the least. That was deceptive. Moving doesn't mean when the lease is up," said Melanie Sloan, director of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics.

If that's not bad enough, he's tooling around in a taxpayer-funded Cadillac that's doubling as a campaign vehicle.

Sweet deal.

Rep. Charles Rangel's taxpayer-provided Cadillac DeVille is pulling double duty as his political campaign vehicle, The Post has learned.

The dual use of the luxurious wheels for official and political purposes may run afoul of House rules and add to the Harlem congressman's mounting ethical woes.

Rangel's Member's Representational Allowance covers the cost of the 2004 model, which he leases for $777.54 a month.

House rules forbid using any allowance funds for political purposes.

But Rangel's lawyer, Lanny Davis, confirmed the vehicle has been used to take the congressman to political and campaign events.

"It is my understanding that Congressman Rangel uses the car in New York City almost entirely for official purposes," he said. But "it is obviously difficult for any member of Congress to determine the difference between political and official activity when making visits in his or her district."

Kyle Anderson, a spokesman for the Committee on House Administration, said the rules are clear.

"The [Member's Representational Fund] is for the execution of official representational duties. Political and campaign activities would not be included under the purview of official representational duties," he said.

As noted earlier, his constituents don't care what this guy does and will blindly vote for him, so why he even bothers campaigning escapes me.

Instapundit links. Thanks!