House Ethics Panel Convicts Charlie Rangel on 11 Ethics Violations

WILL THE SWAMP BE DRAINED?

US Rep Charlie Rangel (NY-D) was convicted and found guilty today on 11 of 13 counts of ethics violations. The full ethics panel will now convene a sanctions hearing to recommend a punishment. So what will it be for Charlie, serious sanctions, formal reprimand, censure or expulsion. However, don’t count on anything harsh, most likely it will be a slap on the wrist.

GUILTY on 11 out of 13 violations

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), once one of the most powerful members of the House, was convicted Tuesday on 11 counts of violating ethics rules and now faces punishment.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), the chairwoman of the adjudicatory subcommittee and the full House ethics committee, announced the decision late Tuesday morning following an abbreviated public trial and nearly six hours of deliberations.

The full ethics panel will now convene a sanctions hearing to recommend a punishment, which ethics experts say will most likely be a reprimand or formal censure. The ethics committee had yet to announce by Tuesday afternoon when the hearing would occur.

Serious sanctions — including formal reprimand, censure or expulsion — require a vote on the House floor. Expulsion requires a two-thirds vote, while a reprimand, to which Rangel refused to agree in July, or a censure would need only a simple majority. The ethics panel could also impose a fine and deny some of Rangel’s House privileges.

Those racist Ethics Panel members. What was Rangel’s response to the verdict, arrogant condemnation of course.

Later, in an official statement, Rangel slammed the ethics subcommittee’s “unprecedented” decision, saying his due-process rights were violated because the panel ruled without him having legal representation.

“How can anyone have confidence in the decision of the ethics subcommittee when I was deprived of due-process rights, right to counsel and was not even in the room?” Rangel said. “I can only hope that the full committee will treat me more fairly, and take into account my entire 40 years of service to the Congress before making any decisions on sanction.”

How pathetic and a symbol of why Americans have come to distrust politicians so much. There is a reason why Congress has a 21% approval rating. Rangel was the Head of the Ways and Means committee that wrote tax code for we peons. However, he was allowed the plead ignorance. As Patterico Pontifications pontificates … imagine if our government ever allowed us to do the same. NEVER HAPPEN.