Rangel found guilty

[coyotes_geek]

CG: Yay, I guess. Time for a wrist slap then back to business as usual.

******************

WASHINGTON – A House ethics panel has found Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel of New York guilty on 11 counts of breaking House rules.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101116/ap_on_go_co/us_rangel_ethics_trial

[Winehole23]

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.


(CG: we're not supposed to post AP content of any length on ST. They've already given Kori/timvp some grief about this.)

[coyotes_geek]

(CG: we're not supposed to post AP content of any length on ST. They've already given Kori/timvp some grief about this.)

Doh! Thanks for the heads up.

[baseline bum]

CG: Yay, I guess. Time for a wrist slap then back to business as usual.


Pretty much. :pctoss

[Duff McCartney]

I don't even like him. He's a douche bag.

[Wild Cobra]

11 of 13. Not bad.

[jack sommerset]

Is this clown looking at some jail time?

[Wild Cobra]

Is this clown looking at some jail time?
I doubt it. They were ethics violations. Maybe someone can make a criminal case of it, but that's not what this is about.

[CosmicCowboy]

Is this clown looking at some jail time?

A token fine at worst.

Disgusting.

If one of us got caught evading Federal income tax to the tune of hundreds of thousands the IRS would ruin our life forever. Cheating on rent control apartments? They put normal people in jail for that shit in New York. Rangel? they just send his lying stealing ass back to Congress for another round.

[Nbadan]

Rangel's lawyers quit mid-hearing and he walked out of the proceedings because they would not grant him a delay to hire new attorneys..


WASHINGTON (AP) -- Denied his plea for a delay, Rep. Charles Rangel walked out of his ethics trial Monday, leaving the ethics committee's top lawyer to cite Rangel's past statements in arguing that the 20-term New York Democrat violated House rules.

Chief House ethics counsel Blake Chisam, assuming the role of prosecutor at the rare public airing of in-House issues, played a video of a Rangel speech on the House floor in August. Rangel, former chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, acknowledged in that presentation that he'd used House stationery to raise money for a college center named after him.

Rangel also said in the August speech that he had been tardy in filing taxes and financial disclosure statements, but that he had no intention of breaking any rules.

Chisam told an ethics panel of four Republicans and four Democrats, "There are no ... issues as to any material facts in this case. As a result the case is ripe for a decision."

Rangel stalked out of the proceeding after imploring the panel for a delay until he could obtain a new lawyer. The panel declined his request after a closed session and the proceeding - rare in the annals of the House - went forward without Rangel's participation.

Huff (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/15/charles-rangel-ethics-trial_n_783451.html)

Don't know if Rangel was guilty or not, but this sure seems like this panel was looking to convict no matter what...

Seriously? Using House stationery

:lol

[Winehole23]

Rangel is like, 10 years late on some of this tax filing/financial disclosure. This goes way beyond abusing "House stationary."

[Nbadan]

blah, blah, blah..

Rangel will likely receive a public reprimand from the House, and perhaps even a fine, but expulsion from the House is unlikely. Rangel has admitted he made ethical lapses, but he argues he did not intend to break the House rules. Also, the chief counsel against Rangel said the evidence did not show Rangel to be "corrupt," but merely "sloppy and overzealous."

[BlairForceDejuan]

LOL at that jackass not hiring a lawyer and walking out the first day

[Nbadan]

LOL at that jackass not hiring a lawyer and walking out the first day

He tried too...but the committee refused to grant him a delay...

[Winehole23]

Rangel will likely receive a public reprimand from the House, and perhaps even a fine...You say that like it's no big deal.

How often does the US House censure and fine one of its own for breaking the rules?

[Nbadan]

You say that like it's no big deal.

How often does the US House censure and fine one of its own for breaking the rules?

About as often as they censure one without representation of legal counsel....say what you will, but it speaks volumes about the seriousness of the charges against Rangel

[Winehole23]

About as often as they censure one without representation of legal counsel....How often is that?

[Nbadan]

How often is that?

About as often as Yoni post something that's actually right...

[Winehole23]

http://nationaljournal.com/congress/house-censures-reprimands-and-explusions-a-history-20101116

[Stringer_Bell]

LOL at that jackass not hiring a lawyer and walking out the first day

It was pretty hilarious, looked like a scene from what I imagine a Coen Brothers political comedy would look like.

[Winehole23]

His story was insane. Rangel said he gave his lawyers $2 million and they bailed, so he needed more time to hire new lawyers.

[Winehole23]

Is that even possible? I can't even imagine Rangel would fight House ethics charges so hard.

It must be a lie.

Rangel went before the ethics commitee pro se, then bailed. Then he told an outrageously improbable tale to cover up his supposed lack of due caution, knowing beforehand the worst result would probably be knitted brows and a sincere rap on the knuckles. And maybe a fine.

[Winehole23]

(NB: Rangel already stepped down from Ways and Means.)

[Winehole23]

It's Chairman Levin for the time being.