The ethics committee voted 9-1 to recommend censure and that Rangel pay any taxes he owes on income from a vacation villa in the Dominican Republic. The five Democrats and five Republicans on the panel deliberated for about three hours behind closed doors.
Earlier, at a sanctions hearing, the 20-term congressman apologized for his misconduct but said he was not a crooked politician out for personal gain. He was in the House hearing room when the ethics committee chairman, Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, announced the recommendation.
Rangel, 80, ended the sanctions hearing with an emotional plea to salvage his reputation.
Before speaking, Rangel sat for several minutes trying to compose himself. He placed his hands over his eyes and then his chin, before he slowly stood up and said in a gravelly voice that was barely audible: "I don't know how much longer I have to live."
Facing the committee members, he asked them to "see your way clear to say, 'This member was not corrupt.'"
He continued: "There's no excuse for my behavior and no intent to go beyond what has been given to me as a salary. I apologize for any embarrassment I've caused you individually and collectively as a member of the greatest institution in the world."
In the most dramatic clash of the proceeding, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, questioned the assertion of Rangel — the former chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee — that he wasn't corrupt.
"Failure to pay taxes for 17 years. What is that?" McCaul asked, referring to Rangel's shortchanging the Internal Revenue Service on rental income from his villa in the Dominican Republic. More on this
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Such a dog and pony show, he should be going to jain for tax evasion. That is what would happen to the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely he should go to jail. Did they put a lien on his bank accounts as they would an ordinary US citizen or are they depending on the upstanding individual to pay the 17 years worth of taxes on his own. Sell the property and recoup some of the losses. He sickens me as he should the rest of this Country. A prime example of the crooks currently running this Country. Who cares how long he has to live, we none know that. It appears to me he has had a pretty good life at tax payer expense for a few of those 80 years. No sympathy here. This is another reason the Congress and Senate should have the same laws and guidelines to live by as we ordinary peons.
ReplyDeletePUBLIC MASTERS----not public servants. And they are ALL the same way....the proof lies in the "censure". These guys KNOW that is as powerful a punishment as, perhaps, making him stand in the corner for an hour. COME ON!!! They (Senators & Representatives) should be held to a HIGHER standard than we are. Instead, they have exempted themselves from the laws we must obey (or face prison), established a health and retirement system for themselves (and ONLY themselves) that makes OUR health and retirement plans look like a crime against the people. And vote themselves pay raises while they tell retirees that there will be no COLA's (again) this year and their Medicare deductibles and co-pays are going up. Want to plug some HUGE deficit spending? Get rid of about 525 worthless Congressmen (and Congresswomen)...When regular citizens go to prison and have their lives ruined by property confiscation, liens, garnishments and prison time (senior citizens have their SSI checks taken without mercy!!), but our PUBLIC MASTERS get to (by mass collusion) keep their jobs, paychecks, health care and retirement for the SAME CRIME, something is wrong in our republic, and VOTING ain't the type of change we be lookin' fo'...
ReplyDeleteThese new Senators and Representatives REALLY want to gain the confidence and OVERWHELMING suppoort of 80-90% of the American people?? Have them IMMEDIATELY place themselves under the SSI program, place themselves in the new Obamacare system, and eliminate their self-voted pay raises, scrap their hugely enriching (self-voted, too) retirement packages, AND perhaps most importantly, place themselves at the mercy and justice of all the laws they make for the rest of us....Don't hold your breath....
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