Ethically-Challenged Tax Cheat to Be Immortalized on Capitol Hill

Today a portrait of the odious Charles Rangel is to be unveiled at the Capitol.

This should be the portrait he's remembered for.

He may have been censured by his House colleagues, but Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) will have his visage permanently displayed on Capitol Hill.

The House Ways and Means Committee, which Rangel chaired until he lost his gavel following accusations of ethics violations, is hosting a ceremony and reception Thursday to unveil Rangel’s official portrait in Longworth House Office Building.

House leaders including Speaker John Boehner, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer will speak at the ceremony. Two New York senators, Democrats Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, will also give remarks.

I understand it's likely a formality, but shouldn't Speaker Boehner have found somewhere else to be during this sham?

Jesus Would Have Paid His Taxes

Democrats always freak out whenever anyone brings religion into the political debate. Except when it suits their own purposes, of course. Well, leave it to tax cheat Charlie Rangel to play the Jesus card on the debt debate.

Lame. Very lame.

In what seemed more like a Sunday church service than a Capitol Hill press conference, Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., called out for his fellow lawmakers and all Americans to do "the Lord's work" as a solution to fixing the debt ceiling.

"These are not political questions," Rangel asserted. "These are moral questions."

The raspy-voiced congressman urged spiritual leaders to highlight the role federal programs including Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security play in protecting the vulnerable, sick and poor despite Washington's concern about the $14.3 trillion deficit.

"Why don't you call your pastor, your rabbi, your imam? There has to be a moral answer," Rangel preached to reporters. It was just a year ago that the former chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee was censured by his colleagues for various ethical violations.

Funny, but I don't ever recall anything about massive debt in the Bible. But don't let that stop a crooked pol from injecting religion when it suits him.

While lawmakers from both parties are asking what President Obama is going to do about the debt ceiling, Rangel continues to ask, "what would Jesus do?"

He'd have lived within his means.

Heh: Rangel Now Giving Weiner Advice

It's come to this.

Rep. Anthony Weiner got some advice on what to focus on during this scandal from fellow New York Democrat, Rep. Charlie Rangel, on Wednesday.

"His most serious problem is keeping his wife and family together at this time," Rangel said in an interview on Fox Business Network set to air Wednesday evening.

Rangel's comments come as Weiner is facing increasing pressure from Democrats to resign in the wake of Weiner's admission that he had had "inappropriate" correspondence with "about six" women including sending a photograph of his underwear-clad waist area to a woman in Seattle. Weiner admitted to the correspondence at a press conference on Monday after initially denying that he sent the photo to the woman through his Twitter account.

To add to the drama, Weiner's wife is reportedly in the early stages of pregnancy.

In the same interview, Rangel, who was censured last year by the House for 11 ethics violations including failing to pay taxes and not reporting income, said it's possible that Weiner would have to face ethics hearings.

“They may do that, and God knows, I know what people feel they have to do as politicians to protect themselves. It’s totally unbelievable, but it happens," Rangel said. "They love you, but they love themselves better and they make political decisions not to how it affects you, but to how it affects them and their reelection."

Some thanks Weiner gets for voting against Rangel's censure.

Shocker: Rangel Aide Also a Tax Cheat

We've figured out how to balance the federal budget: Make Charles Rangel and all his aides pay their taxes. Nothing like leading by example, Chuckles.

You know what they say about birds of a feather.

James Capel, a former top aide to Rep. Charles Rangel, 'fessed up in Manhattan Criminal Court to being a tax cheat yesterday -- just like his embattled boss.

Capel, who earned nearly $160,000 running Rangel's New York office before leaving the job in February, pleaded guilty to one count of failure to file a tax return and two counts of tax fraud, all misdemeanor charges.

He must fork over $42,088 in New York state back taxes and penalties and foot an additional $1,000 fine. He'll stay out of jail only providing he's paid up by his sentencing date of July 12.

In taking his plea, Capel admitted to Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Abraham Clott that he failed to file tax returns for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009. The crimes are misdemeanors because Capel was paying some taxes automatically via payroll withholding.

But according to a law-enforcement source, Capel actually hadn't filed taxes on his congressional salary since 2003, but the statute of limitations prevents authorities from going after those alleged lapses

In all, Capel saved himself a total of $25,000 in mostly municipal taxes, which were not automatically withheld from his paychecks.

And while it's odd for such small-scale tax frauds to result in criminal prosecutions, Capel had repeatedly balked at resolving the filing lapses, the source said.

Imagine how much jail time he'd be facing if he wasn't a member of the privileged elite class.

Rangel: Obama Budget 'Dangerous' and 'Immoral'

Geez, the way these people are talking you'd think Obama was some wild-eyed tea partier. Or as the dean of New York pols would say, an extremist.

New York's congressional delegation trashed President Obama's budget compromise Monday, calling it "irresponsible," "dangerous" and "immoral."

"What [Obama has] done politically does not fit what I think should be done morally," said Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem), who signaled plans to vote against the budget this week. "My community got a lousy deal in view of the resources that this great nation has."

Obama reached an 11th-hour compromise late Friday that narrowly averted a government shutdown by slashing $38.5 billion in federal spending over the next six months.

It's not clear how much of that cut will affect New York - but local pols say the city will suffer more than most.

"The budget...will hurt New York City terribly," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan). "Many of the things hurt like mass transit and public housing funds are particularly New York oriented."

Maybe Nadler should skip mass transit and walk around Manhattan. He could use the exercise.

Drunken Rangel Aide Has Restaurant Meltdown: 'You're a Disgrace to our Race'

I guess the stress of working for lowlife Charlie Rangel is getting to this guy. That or he's got a really, really bad attitude to begin with. Now what did this charming fellow lose it over? Why, a misplaced umbrella, of course.

Charlie Rangel's deputy chief of staff, Geoffrey Eaton, threw such a fit over a missing umbrella during Thursday night's downpour at Harlem's popular Chez Lucienne restaurant that management had to call police to escort him out.

According to witnesses, Eaton, 52 -- who's also president of the NAACP's Midtown branch -- flew into a rage after a meal alone at the bar of the Lenox Avenue bistro when the staff couldn't find the umbrella he insisted he'd left by the door on his way in.

"He yelled at everyone, even the customers," said the manager on duty, who asked not to be named. "We said, 'We'll give you another umbrella.' Other people offered . . . we said, 'If that's not enough, we'll pay for your cab home.' Because I know him, I let him stay for a while. I talked to him nicely, as I do with all of my customers. We tried to calm him down. I have never seen him that way. Maybe something went a little wrong."

BET.com contributor Bevy Smith, who was dining separately at the bistro, told us, "He cursed out the entire waitstaff, and everyone was trying to appease him. He was like, 'Bleep that, I want a bleeping umbrella, why the bleep can't you find it?' "

"I said, 'Shhhh.' He yells at me, 'Bleep you, and mind your own bleeping business . . . you're a disgrace to our race.' "

After 15 minutes of Eaton's ranting and raving, the manager called cops to escort him out. A source told us employees later found his umbrella in a corner. Eaton was not arrested and left in a huff.

Smith, a former fashion director for Vibe and Rolling Stone, said, "I was appalled that someone who is a president at the NAACP and works with Charlie Rangel could behave like that in a public place and towards women. He was clearly intoxicated."

Thanks to Instapundit for the link.

Rangel Lends Support to Drug Gang Gun Moll

It one thing to lend support to your constituents. But when they're accused of running guns for a drug gang, you might want to do so privately. Then again, nobody's ever accused Charlie Rangel of being the brightest bulb.

Members of the Abyssinian Baptist Church packed a Manhattan courtroom yesterday, hoping to post $50,000 in church money to bail out an accused prep-schooler-turned-gun-moll -- even though the renowned congregation had been the biggest crusaders against her drug ring.

But as Afrika Owes sobbed from the defense table, a Manhattan judge refused to set her free despite her contingent of church members, family and supporters -- including embattled Rep. Charles Rangel.

The congressman had been so eager to weigh in in favor of the bond, he was told three times by court officers to sit back down in his front-row seat.

Not so fast, said Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Edward McLaughlin. There is no case law supporting the use of tax-exempt church funds for bail, he noted, and the parishioners who contributed these funds presumably had no idea they would be used to free an accused drug-gang conspirator.

Owes reportedly was caught on recorded phone calls agreeing to ferry guns for her accused drug-kingpin boyfriend.

"The witness against the defendant is the defendant -- the defendant's own words," the judge noted.

As for the church posting bail, McLaughlin said, "I'm familiar with corporal and spiritual acts of mercy. I'm in favor of them. But I'm also in favor of defendants returning to court for trial."

The judge set March 21 as a date for both parties to return to court with prepared arguments on the bail matter.

Owes, who lived with her mom, Karen, in Harlem, had attended the prestigious Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts on a full scholarship, and was enrolled in Manhattan's selective Millennium High School when she was tossed in Rikers on gun-running charges.

"Make sure, head shots only; head shots only," boyfriend and co-defendant Jaquan Layne had been taped telling the then-16-year-old Owes in a phone call from jail -- allegedly giving her advice as she prepared to ferry three firearms to Layne's brother Malik, who is also charged.

I'm guessing the law-abiding folks in Rangel's district aren't so fond of crack dealers and gun-runners, but who cares about them?

Rangel: Abolishing Collective Bargaining is Like Slavery or Something

So says the tax-cheat Democrat from New York.

Yawn.

State governments taking steps to "abolish" collective bargaining rights for workers is similar to slavery, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) contends.

Speaking Monday at a Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) event about GOP-proposed budget cuts, Rangel brought up Republican governors' plans to target public sector workers, as in the case of Gov. Scott Walker's budget fix plan in Wisconsin.

“It doesn’t really make any sense at all for the president of the United States to talk about creating jobs in order to improve the economy and find out that mayors and governors are talking about laying off people," Rangel said. "Collective bargaining is something that is so close to slavery in terms of abolishing it, that it is not an American concept to tell people that they cannot discuss their economic position."

Rangel's statement is one of the strongest rebukes of Republican-controlled state governments' efforts to cut spending and go after public employee unions.

Sorry, but incoherent psychobabble akin to the rantings of Charlie Sheen and Moammar Khadafy is not a rebuke.

It's obvious why Rangel shows his solidarity with fat, lazy union thugs.


(Photo of fat, dirty, obese, heart-attack-waiting-to-happen union thug via GWP.)

Surreal: Charles Rangel Now Offering Tax Tips to Constituents

Let's look at the upside. He can at least demonstrate how to avoid prison while piling up multiple tax violations. It's a wonder he doesn't team up with Al Sharpton to help dispense the handy tips facing the citizens come tax time. One can only assume he's advising his voters how to avoid paying taxes.

Rep. Charlie Rangel isn't backing down from anything after his censure by the House last year -- including offering tax advice.

Among the ethics violations for which the Harlem Democrat was punished by his colleagues just before Christmas was failing to pay taxes on his DominIcan villa. But Rangel nevertheless just emailed his latest "Rangel Report" featuring tax advice for constituents.

"On its face, Charlie Rangel giving tax advice is more than just ironic, it's surreal," said Baruch College politics maven Doug Muzzio.

"On the other hand, Charle Rangel knows the tax law, his constituents need tax advice and he can provide it," Muzzio added. "It’s a service for his constituents."

Rangel's spokesman declined to comment on the mailing, except to note that he does it every year.

Rangel had to pay some $2 million in legal fees to fight the ethics charges against him, and was forced to give up his chairmanship of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.

In the tax case, he failed to declare income from his Dominican villa, and had to pay about $10, 000 in penalties and back taxes.

Rangel Plans Big Bucks Fundraiser While His Pal Gets 27 Months in Jail

If you relied on the Associated Press for your information, you'd have no idea this guy was linked to lowlife Democrat Charlie Rangel.

A Manhattan tax preparer has been sentenced to over two years in prison for using the stolen identities of Puerto Rico residents to submit false federal returns.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara says the sentence was imposed Wednesday on Kelvin Crucey.

He's a former senior executive at the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone. It's one of nine empowerment zones established by the Clinton Administration in 1994 to revitalize distressed communities.

He also owned a tax preparation business. That's where the scheme occurred.

Of course, when the scheme occurred he was working for one of Rangel's slush funds nonprofits.

With exquisite timing, the man who should be joining Crucey in prison for his myriad offenses announces a fatcat fundraiser so he can finance yet another run for Congress.

Disgraced Rep. Charles Rangel is already raising money for his 2012 re-election campaign.

The Harlem Democrat's campaign yesterday sent out invitations for a March 2 cocktail reception--with tickets costing $1,000 to $5,000. The pricey soiree was announced just days after the 80-year-old congressman -- still popular with colleagues and voters despite his House censure two months ago -- filed candidacy papers to run for a 22nd term.

The invite beckons supporters to join the "dean of the NY delegation and member of the committee on Ways and Means," but doesn't mention he resigned as chairman of the committee amid an ethics scandal that led to his conviction and censure.

Rangel Creates Legal Defense Fund; Wait, Isn't This a Little Late?

Seems this may have been a good idea back around the summer of 2008, when his legal problems began piling up. Now seriously, who's going to start coughing up money for this hack after he's been reduced to a punchline?

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) has created a legal defense fund to help pay attorneys' fees following a lengthy ethics investigation that ended with his censure on the House floor.

The 20-term lawmaker has been given permission by the House ethics committee to create the Charles B. Rangel Legal Defense Trust, which is soliciting donations of up to $5,000. Rangel press secretary Hannah Kim confirmed the creation of the fund, first reported by the website Politics Daily.

In a statement, Rangel said the fund will help him "retain counsel for on-going activities related to the recently-concluded ethics investigations and other on-going matters" and to combat new charges brought before the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by a conservative nonprofit group.

The FEC earlier this month opened a probe into allegations by the National Legal and Policy Center that the former Ways and Means Committee chairman improperly used funds from his National Leadership PAC to pay for his legal counsel in his ethics case.

"The repeated filings of allegations, no matter how unsubstantiated, by the National Legal Policy Committee, a politically-motivated right wing group dedicated to eviscerating civil rights and labor union protections, have led me to this action," Rangel said in the statement.

Oooh, it's those evil rightwing bogeymen again. How pathetic. And didn't he get rid of his attorneys back in the fall? So who's he paying now with money gained from this latest scam of his? Himself?

Good News: Corrupt Rangel Contemplating Retirement

Only two more years and this hack may consider leaving to spend more time with his wife. If she'll have him.

Charlie Rangel beat the post-censure blues last week by reveling in upcoming combat with the new crop of Republicans in what could be a two-year last hurrah.

"At my age, I have to think about it," Rangel said of chances he will call it a career after serving his 21st term in the new Congress sworn in next month.

"At my age, you don't buy green bananas," Rangel said with a grin. "I do realize that I'm 80 years old."

Exactly. What Rangel does is have someone else but the bananas, then he eats them himself. He knows how the system works.

He said he's coming under increasing pressure from his wife, Alma, to hang it up. "That's all she ever asks me - 'Do you see somehow that this work can come to an end, do you ever believe that the world can get along without you? Do you believe that after close to 50 years of marriage, you might spend some time with me and the grandchildren rather than running around with your constituents and colleagues in the Congress?'"

Shocker: Rangel May Face More Ethics Charges

It just never ends with this guy.

The Federal Election Commission is investigating a complaint that Rep. Charles Rangel improperly used his National Leadership PAC to fund his legal defense on ethics charges for which he was censured Thursday, The Post has learned.

The FEC is acting on a complaint by the National Legal and Policy Center filed after The Post reported last month that Rangel paid nearly $400,000 from his PAC.

Lawmakers are only allowed to use money in their individual campaign funds for legal fees, or they can set up legal defense funds for such costs.

Rangel appeared before the House Ethics Committee last month saying he could no longer afford legal counsel after already burning through $2 million.

The center expects to file a second complaint this week contending that Rangel's PAC money included at least $195,000 in donations from lobbyists with business before the House Ways & Means Committee, of which he is a member.

Meanwhile, the corrupt thug is still trying desperately to rationalize his problems.

"In all fairness, I was not found guilty of corruption, I did not go to bed with kids, I did not hurt the House speaker, I did not start a revolution against the United States of America, I did not steal any money, I did not take any bribes, and that is abundantly clear," he said.

Why Cowardly Rangel Bailed on Ethics Hearing

The guy who loves to remind everyone that he served in Korea apparently forgot how to fight and turned tail and ran once he realized he would have been subject to a long line of folks who would have divulged his shakedown tactics.

Gutless punk.

Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel bailed out on his House ethics trial just as committee lawyers were preparing to call a parade of corporate bigwigs who would testify about his fund-raising tactics, new committee documents reveal.

Lawyers were planning to challenge Rangel with a conga line of corporate officials who would testify about his pitches for multimillion-dollar contributions to the Rangel Center for public affairs at CCNY -- among them Donald Trump, Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg and Hank Greenberg, CEO of C.V. Starr & Co.

Ethics lawyers also planned to call top lobbyists for AIG, NY Life, and Verizon, according to an Oct. 22 letter from the committee to Rangel.

In the case of AIG, Edward Cloonan was expected to testify about "communications and meetings between AIG staff and Representative Rangel or his congressional staff regarding potential donations from AIG for the Rangel Center" to be built at CCNY.

NY Life lobbyist George Nichols, also on the list, was to offer testimony on "internal communications."

Rangel walked out on what was supposed to be his ethics trial last month, saying he couldn't get a fair shake without a lawyer. The committee then voted 9-1 to recommend he face a formal censure motion, something the House will vote on this week.

Pathetically, the disgraced Democrat is still pleading his case.

'Insiders' on Rangel Censure: 'They're Definitely Raising the Bar'

Geez, the way these people talk about a possible wrist slap for Charles Rangel, you'd think the guy is facing some waterboarding.

A humiliating censure for Rep. Charles Rangel will raise the bar on House ethical standards - and set a new precedent for misbehaving members.

The Harlem Democrat, who would be the first congressman censured in 27 years, was hit with 11 ethical charges for not paying taxes on rental income, improperly raising money for a City College center bearing his name and misusing rent-stablized apartments.

The House ethics panel deemed that none of his misdeeds benefited him directly - or lined his pockets - but still meted out a tougher-than-expected penalty.

How on earth is it possible to not benefit him when he "saved" money on taxes?

Until now, censured members had either faced criminal investigations for financial wrongdoing or committed sexual shenanigans.

So until now these thieves and tax cheats would face criminal prosecution, but now they're in for far rougher treatment.

"It does mark a new standard in terms of judging members," one insider said.

"They're definitely raising the bar," added a source.

Raising the bar. Marking a new standard. Surely this must mean some really harsh time, forfeiture of assets, and substantial financial penalties, right?

Uh, no.

Censured lawmakers are subjected to an embarrassing public dressing-down by the House speaker.

Gee, that ought to really terrify poor Charlie. We hope a man so shameless can somehow avoid the horrible humiliation that awaits him.

'We're Satisfied With Our Conclusion'

Let's face it, the same people who vote to keep Nancy Pelosi as their leader should find nothing less than satisfaction in keeping perhaps their most corrupt member in the fold. Heck, let's get symbolic about it. Give him the chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee back for the lame-duck session and let the poor, beleaguered man restore some pride!

The House ethics committee recommended on Thursday by a vote of 9-1 that Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) be formally censured by the full House for 11 counts of violating ethics rules.

The panel also ordered Rangel to pay restitution of any unpaid taxes.

"We have worked together in this matter in a way that actually has been quite wrenching and we're satisfied with our conclusion," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), the panel's chairwoman.

Short of expulsion, censure is the most serious sanction the ethics panel can recommend. Only 22 House members have been censured in the history of the chamber.

A majority of the full House would have to vote to censure Rangel or lawmakers could opt for a lighter punishment. That vote likely will wait until after the Thanksgiving recess.

A lighter punishment? Which would be what, only 20 weeks vacation a year? Only three rent-controlled apartments? Dinner with Pelosi?

How About Prosecuting Rangel?

We figure since the corrupt Charles Rangel will face little more than a dainty love tap on the wrist for his myriad ethics breaches, how about some actual justice in a criminal court? There may be a way.

The House ethics panel decided not to take action on one of the charges against Rep. Charles Rangel because prosecutors and the courts should handle it -- the first formal indication the Harlem Democrat could face criminal charges, it was revealed yesterday.

A nine-page report posted on the committee's Web site summarizing the case says the potentially criminal conduct relates to Rangel's use of the congressional "frank" -- free official use of the mail for members of Congress -- to solicit millions in cash for the Charles B. Rangel Center at CCNY.

The panel disclosed it was "taking no action [on one of the 13 counts against Rangel] . . . because the Adjudicatory Subcommittee believes the jurisdiction to charge and find a violation of this criminal statute more properly lies with the executive branch and judicial branch," according to the report.

There were originally 13 charges against Rangel, and the panel on Tuesday found him guilty of 11 ethics violations and acquitted him on one count, leaving one charge unaccounted for.

It had been thought the committee chose to combine two of the original charges into a single count -- but the report yesterday revealed the panel simply didn't vote on one of the counts.

The full House ethics committee meets today to recommend Rangel's punishment, which is expected to be either reprimand or censure, but not the most severe -- expulsion.

Franking regulations clearly state that use of the free mail to solicit funds "on behalf of any organization" is prohibited -- and even single out solicitations "for the purpose of supporting any charitable, education, religious or political program" as "not frankable."

The fines for violating federal law on franking run up to $5,000.

Granted, that's even less than a wrist-slap, but why isn't Rangel brought up tax-evasion charges? If anyone else skipped out on their taxes and wasn't a privileged member of the ruling elite they'd surely face time and much large fines.

Why is Rangel above the law?

'When You’re as Clean as the Driven Snow, No Matter the Accusations, Just Denying is Not Enough'

That snow doesn't look so clean any more, does it, Chuckles?

It’s all my fault.

If Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) has problems with the House Ethics Committee, he can blame me.

I bear some responsibility. I helped get him into the mess in first place.

It was July, 2008. And the New York press corps was frothing with blockbuster stories that alleged Rangel failed to pay taxes on his vacation villa in the Dominican Republic. And that he misappropriated Congressional letterhead to solicit donations for a school of public service in his name at City College of New York. And that Rangel used four, rent-controlled apartment in Harlem for political purposes.

Rangel said he would pay the back taxes owed on the Caribbean vacation home and straighten out his House financial disclosure reports. And Rangel said he could explain the problem with the Congressional stationary. Plus, he argued he was on the right side of the law with the Manhattan apartments.

But the story churned. It soon brewed into a political maelstrom. And after weeks of charges and sparring with reporters, Rangel had had enough.

If people wanted to investigate him so badly, so be it. Rangel would let them take their best shot. And he would take the extraordinary step of referring himself to the House Ethics Committee to sort this all out.

So on July 31, 2008, I asked Rangel why anyone would throw himself at the mercy of House ethics investigators.

His response was brazen. Cocky. Boastful.

“When you’re as clean as the driven snow, no matter the accusations, just denying is not enough,” Rangel answered.

The retort shocked me. Politicians usually answer in bland generalities. But this was emphatic. Declarative. And I’ve also been around long enough to know when someone is tempting fate.

In other words, in Rangel’s mind, all of this was just a misunderstanding. The Ethics Committee would see this Rangel’s way. And then he could emerge from this nebula that clouded his Congressional career.

How's that defense working out? Not so well among some of his constituents.

Many voters said the legendary Harlem politician -- once one of the most powerful Democrats in Congress -- had let them down.

"He's a crook! It's basic common sense. He cheated on his taxes. He stole from us. He should resign," said 29-year-old cashier Michelle Ross.

Nurse's aide Charmaine West, 40, said, "He should pay. He did a terrible thing. Congressmen are supposed to be above this."

Eric Grace, 43, a customer-service representative, said Rangel should "throw in the towel" because he "doesn't have the right values to be in office."

Instead he's still whining like a little bitch.

Yesterday's verdict made official what everyone has long known -- that Charlie Rangel is just another corrupt, old pol.

Again, he didn't even bother to contest the charges, many of which were first made public by The Post.

Rangel's violations included failing to pay taxes and to fully disclose income and assets; using a rent-stabilized apartment as a campaign office; soliciting funds from folks with business before his committee, and several others.

A weasel to the end, he now claims he was unfairly convicted.

How positively lame.

What the full committee will do now is anybody's guess.

Rangel deserves to be drop-kicked right off Capitol Hill. But Congress takes care of its own, so no one should expect more than a mild rebuke.

And even more whining from the congressman. It's what he does best.

Former Speaker Pelosi: How's that swamp-draining going? Maybe the two of you should be co-Minority Leaders.

Trial Buffoon Rangel Found Guilty: 'Mr. Rangel Should Resign'

OK, so now we should expect he'll be removed from office and face criminal charges? Or is he above the law?

Harlem Rep. Charlie Rangel did break the rules and was convicted this morning of 12 of the 13 ethics violations leveled against him by a House panel.

A sanctions hearing, at a time yet to be determined, will decide what punishment he faces.

Possible punishments include a House vote deploring Rangel’s conduct, a fine and denial of privileges.

Rangel was not present when the committee rendered its decision.

The committee chairwoman, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), announced the verdict, saying, "We have tried to act with fairness, led only by the facts and the rule of law."

The convictions were for violations ranging from accepting rent-stabilized apartments from a Manhattan developer to failing to pay taxes on rental income from his villa in the Dominican Republic.

The eight-member committee split 4-4 on one of the counts.

The decision came a day after the 80-year-old lawmaker and former chairman of the Ways and Means Committee walked out of the proceedings to protest his lack of a lawyer.

More:

Melanie Sloan, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, applauded the decision and called on Rangel to resign.

"All of Mr. Rangel's theatrics aside, the facts were clear: Mr. Rangel violated numerous House rules and federal laws," she said. "Whether these violations were deliberate or inadvertent, the American people deserve to be represented by members of Congress who adhere to the highest ethical standards. Mr. Rangel should resign."

Good luck with that. This is a resume-enhancer for Democrats. He'll be a bigger star than ever.

Stunner: Sleazebag Pol Even Sleazier Than Imagined

Is anyone surprised by this?

Congressman Charles Rangel, whose ethics trial starts tomorrow, appears to have improperly used political-action committee money to pay for his defense.

Rangel tapped his National Leadership PAC for $293,000 to pay his main legal-defense team this year. He took another $100,000 from the PAC in 2009 to pay lawyer Lanny Davis.

Two legal experts told The Post such spending is against House rules.

"It's a breach of congressional ethics," one campaign-finance lawyer said.

Washington, DC, political lawyer Cleta Mitchell said there is "no authority for a member to use leadership PAC funds as a slush fund to pay for personal or official expenses."


Leadership PACs are typically used by politicians to donate money to other candidates.

But Rangel seems to have run afoul of House ethics rules. Lawmakers are generally allowed to use campaign cash to pay their lawyers, but this is limited to money in their personal campaign committee and they must ask permission first, the campaign-finance lawyer said.

"The only campaign funds that a member may use to pay for congressional expenses are funds of his or her principal campaign committee -- not the funds of a leadership PAC or a multicandidate committee," according to the House Ethics Manual.

Legal fees tied to a campaign, election or performance of official duties are considered congressional expenses.

"Accepting money or payment for legal expenses from any other source, including a PAC, would be a gift and is barred by the House rules," the lawyer said.

The Ethics Committee had no comment. Rangel's office refused to comment on the PAC money.

His ethics trial ought to be amusing.