The panel that oversaw a two-year ethics inquiry into Representative Charles B. Rangel’s conduct recommended that the Harlem congressman be punished with a reprimand, rather than a more serious censure or expulsion from office, the chairman of the panel said Friday.
The Rangel Factor in November
How much will the Rangel ethics case hurt the Democrats in the midterm elections?
A reprimand is considered a moderate punishment, more serious than the minor Sony VGP-BPS8 Aadmonishment but not especially severe: members including Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, and Barney Frank have received reprimands.
VGP-BPS8A battery of the panel’s recommendation came on the same day that Congressional officials said that Representative Maxine Waters, Democrat of California, would face ethics charges that are expected to be announced next week.
On Thursday, the ethics committee released a report detailing 13 charges against Sony VGP-BPS9/S l, including his improper use of his office to solicit donations for a City University of New York center to be named in his honor; his failure to report rental income from his villa in the Dominican Republic and to pay taxes on it; his omission of some $600,000 in assets on his House financial disclosure forms; and his acceptance from a Manhattan developer of four rent-stabilized apartments, one of which he used as a campaign office.
The VGP-BPS9 Mr. Rangel had shown “a pattern of indifference or disregard for the laws, rules and regulations of the United States and the House of Representatives.”
Representative Gene Green, the Texas Democrat who was chairman of the battery subcommittee, told reporters on Friday that Mr. Rangel had previously been offered the settlement that included the reprimand.
But negotiations stalled on the question of how much wrongdoing Mr. Rangel would admit to. The VGP-BPS9A/B battery broke down and the ethics committee took the rare step of preparing for a public hearing — the Congressional equivalent of a trial.
“If we could have reached a settlement we would have recommended that to the full committee,” Mr. Green said.
acer battery d if Mr. Rangel had put a settlement on the table, Mr. Green replied: “At different times there were offers from both sides.” He said there was never a vote on a proposed deal.
Mr. Green’s comments added fresh drama to what has become a chaotic story on
battery VGP-BPS9/B. The ethics committee is among the most secretive bodies in Washington, and after speaking to reporters, Mr. Green quickly issued an apology for his comments — saying he had erred by piercing that confidentiality.
Then, adding more Aspire 5100 battery to the picture, Mr. Rangel reacted angrily when reporters asked his response to Mr. Green’s statement, saying it was “absolutely untrue” that he had been offered a reprimand. Hours later, his lawyer amended that statement, saying Mr. Rangel “misspoke” and acknowledging that Mr. Green’s comments were accurate.
“The appropriate sanction, including reprimand, was one of a number of issues addressed in settlement discussions,” said Leslie Kiernan, the lawyer representing Mr. Rangel before the committee. She declined to elaborate on any continuing talks.
Predicting what punishment a House member will receive after ethics infractions is difficult; factors Lifebook T4210 battery the member’s contrition, level of knowledge of the misdeeds and relationships with colleagues can play a role. And given the prominence of the case of Mr. Rangel, especially after the public detailing of the charges, it is possible that Republicans on the committee will now face pressure to reject any settlement.
Even some Democrats seemed to grow more uncomfortable with Mr. Rangel’s continued dell in the House. Since the charges were detailed, three Democratic members have called for him to step down, joining three members who had previously asked him to leave the House.
“Too acer 6291 bttery politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, have fallen victim to the idea that they are ‘different’ than regular folks, and nothing could be further from the truth,” Representative Ann Kirkpatrick, Democrat of Arizona, said in a statement released on Friday.
“It is our job as members of Congress to hold each other accountable to a higher standard regardless of party,” she said, adding that if the charges against Mr. Rangel are accurate, “he needs to resign.”
The chairwoman of the ethics committee, Zoe Lofgren, Democrat of California, Vostro 1700 battery to comment on the committee’s discussions. As reporters waited outside the meeting room where the committee had huddled, a committee spokesman read a statement saying there would be no announcements on Friday.
Some government ethics groups said a reprimand seemed too lenient and would do little to insulate Democrats from Republicans’ charges that they had failed to deliver on Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s promise to “drain the swamp” of Washington’s murky ethical culture.
“Now Latitude E6400 battery he’s put the committee through all this, to issue something as mild as a reprimand would look terrible,” said Melanie Sloan, a former federal prosecutor who is executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
“Some of the conduct alleged here could be a felony. If the acer lets him off that easily, it won’t do a lot to restore the public faith in Congress.”
From 1966, when the House Committee on Standards and Conduct was established, to Vostro 1510 battery , 83 members have received some kind of ethics sanction. Mr. Gingrich, Republican of Georgia, was reprimanded for accepting improper gifts and using charitable donations for political purposes. Mr. Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, was reprimanded for helping a prostitute who lived in his home fix parking tickets.
Last year, the House voted against reprimanding Representative Joe Wilson, Republican of South Carolina, for shouting “You lie” during an address to Congress by President Obama.
