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.
After the “guilty” verdict from the Ethics panel Tuesday, I tracked down Rangel late in the afternoon for an interview. I asked him if he regretted referring himself to the Ethics Committee.
“No, of course not,” Rangel said. “There was no self-dealing. There was no corruption.”And moreover, Rangel had his own theory as to why the Ethics Committee nailed him now.
“There’s only one reason for it,” Rangel said. “They want to complete this before they go on vacation. Before they do Thanksgiving. Before they do Christmas. In other words, due process has been shattered in order for them to complete the work this year.
Dude is fucking looney. Loco. Certifiable.
Now lets see exactly what "punishment" the Ethics committee comes up with.
