CHARLES RANGEL

Charles Rangel Found Guilty

Charles Rangel Found Guilty

Introduction

Charles Bernard Rangel is an American politician of the Democratic Party. As a member of the House of Representatives since 1971, he represents the current 15th Congressional District of the State of New York. After his military service from 1948 until 1952, during which he among others, the Wound Badge Purple Heart for his service in the Korean War was won, Rangel studied at New York University and earned his law degree at St. John's University School of Law (Herszenhorn, David, 2010). Rangel sat in the 1966-1970 New York State Assembly, the state legislature of the State of New York. In the Democratic primaries, he ultimately defeated the longtime congressman Adam Clayton Powell and was subsequently elected to the House of Representatives.

Discussion

Synopsis of the Ethical Dilemma

The Ethics Committee of the House of Representatives said U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel guilty of committing 11 violations of ethical standards of Congress, after an unusual trial in which the defendant refused to participate (McGrane, Victoria, 2008). The four Republicans and four Democrats who form the Committee decided in a private audience with the punishment imposed on Rangel, who represents the Harlem district in New York, the newspaper "Wall Street Journal" was quoted as saying (Herszenhorn, David, 2010). Then make a recommendation to the House of Representatives, which could vote to deplore the conduct of Rep., to put a fine or to deny their privilege. The charges against Rangel include failure to pay taxes on a rental property in Dominican Republic, the misuse of congressional stationery to solicit donations to a college in New York that bears his name, and the use of four government-subsidized apartments (Herszenhorn, David, 2010).

They also accused him of abusing his former position as chairman of the Committee that manages the budget for the House, and not to communicate to Congress the possession of at least $ 600,000 in assets and income (Currie, Duncan, 2006). Rangel, 80 years, spending more than half of his life in Congress captured the front pages of newspapers when he abruptly left his own trial, saying he needed more time to raise money for his defense after his lawyers dismissed for two weeks. The Committee rejected the request of the legislature to adjourn the hearing and approved a motion for summary judgment, which allows closing a case without having the proof of the defendant's defense. The panel chairman, Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, said its members had advised Rangel on how to pay his lawyers during the 21-month negotiation (Currie, Duncan, 2006).

The veteran congressman expressed his disappointment at the decision of the Committee in a statement in which he said he had not received the documents of the accusation "a week before" the trial. In a fiery speech before leaving the hearing, Rangel also complained that the Committee was trying to speed up the process in order to close before the Congress renews its membership. "Can you tell me what theory of justice might dictate that I deny due process ...