Charles Rangel convicted of ethics violations - Reuters

Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) speaks during a hearing of the House Adjudicatory subcommittee at Capitol Hill in Washington, November 15, 2010. Rangel faces up to 13 charges concerning ethics and federal regulations covering public officials.

Credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS IMAGES OF THE DAY)

WASHINGTON | Tue Nov 16, 2010 12:42pm EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic Representative Charles Rangel, Congress' former chief tax writer, was convicted by a congressional panel on Tuesday of ethics violations, many dealing with personal finances.

A congressional ethics subcommittee found the veteran representative guilty of 11 counts, including failing to report rental income and improper use of a rent-stabilized apartment and soliciting charitable donations from people with business before Congress.

The panel's chairwoman, Democrat Zoe Lofgren, said there was "clear and convincing evidence" against Rangel, 80, from New York.

The House of Representative Ethics Committee -- five Democrats and five Republicans -- will now consider punishment, which ethics experts predict will likely be censure or reprimand by the full House, possibly later this week.

With the panel's chief counsel finding "no evidence of corruption" and attributing Rangel's misdeeds largely to being "sloppy in his personal finances," it is not expected to recommend he be expelled from Congress.

Rangel resigned in March as chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee after being admonished for corporate-sponsored trips in violation of House gift rules.

While Democrats lost control of the House to Republicans in the November 2 midterm elections, Rangel won a 21st two-year term in his New York City district with 80 percent of the vote.

(Editing by Peter Cooney)

80% of the voters re-elected Rangel? I wonder how many pay ANY federal taxes? These people get what they deserve and voted for! Rangel is the poster child for what is wrong in Washington DC today!

Mlynch001 Report As Abusive

So let me get this straight. Rangel gets in trouble for screwing up his own personal finances. Meanwhile, the guy who once handed out checks from tobacco companies on the House floor (Boehner) is the new Speaker? To me, that sounds FAR worse, FAR more like corruption.

mpower830 Report As Abusive

One down…..300 more to go. No politician should profit by serving the people…no politician should make more than the average worker..no politician should have more power than the average citizen…no politician should be allowed to run for office longer than two terms.

welovetheUSA Report As Abusive

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