Shocker: Corrupt Rangel Hit With New Ethics Charge

At what point does his behavior go from "ethics" to criminal charges? All I know is if you or I skipped out on taxes for years we'd not only face massive fines but likely prison time.

Why is this cretin above the law?

Embattled Rep. Charles Rangel was hit yesterday with another ethics complaint, accusing him of steering millions of taxpayer dollars to his "cronies" at a politically connected nonprofit -- as first reported by The Post.

The complaint by the National Legal and Policy Center asked for an investigation of the "questionable taxpayer funding" Rangel helped secure for financially unstable Alianza Dominicana to build its new $19 million headquarters.

The complaint also pointed to apparent political payoffs Rangel got from the group's supporters -- including Executive Director Moises Perez, who publicly defended Rangel against ethics complaints in November 2009, just a month after the House passed a Rangel-sponsored $250,000 earmark for the nonprofit.

"Beneath the favoritism which is shown in Rep. Rangel's support of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds to the group . . . there is a mosaic of cronyism which includes tens of thousands of dollars in political donations to Rangel's political committees by the nonprofit's major supporters, officers, and individuals whose firms are directly involved in building and financing of the group's new headquarters," the complaint said.

Rangel, who last month was charged with 13 ethics violations, said he shouldn't have to defend the nonprofit's community-development work.

Meanwhile, how bad are things when even the ubiquitous grifter Al Sharpton isn't sure he's going to attend your lavish birthday bash?

Update: Caught Rush Limbaugh playing some soundbites of Rangel on the House floor today.

Rangel just said the for him he would rather see a recommendation that he be expelled than that everything continue in secret, noting that President Obama often talks about "dignity" and said, "For me, that would be dignity."

"If I can't take my dignity back here, then fire your best shot at getting rid of me through expulsion," he said, adding that he apologized for taking up time.

He also acknowledged he "violated...respect for the rules....I violated that, and I'm apologizing for it....but corruption? No evidence, no suggestion that this was ever found?"

No evidence of corruption was ever found? Huh?

More here.

Thanks to Hot Air, Instapundit and Drew at AoS for the links.