Ethics Panel Finding Hints at Guilty Verdict for Rangel
Rep. Charles Rangel (D., N.Y.) leaves his ethics trial Monday on Capitol Hill after protesting his lack of a lawyer.
.WASHINGTON—A House ethics panel sitting in judgment of Rep. Charles Rangel agreed Monday to all of the prosecution evidence against him, despite his attempt to delay the case by walking out for lack of a lawyer.
In retreating from the trial on its first day, the New York Democrat said he could no longer afford a lawyer and that it was unfair to make him proceed without one.
The panel's finding to accept as fact the case's details doesn't by itself represent a guilty verdict, but it strongly suggests the panel will find he violated House ethics rules. Lawmakers will reconvene Tuesday morning.
The hearing is a rarity and represents a public test of Congress's ability to police itself; Mr. Rangel's case is the first to be heard under tougher rules adopted two years ago. Almost as soon as it closes the Rangel file, the committee will take up the ethics trial of another lawmaker, Rep. Maxine Waters (D., Calif.).
Charlie Rangel is preparing to face his ethics trial starting Monday without a lawyer, defending himself. WSJ's Devlin Barrett gives a rundown of the accusations and the House trial against Rangel.
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.The confrontation between Mr. Rangel and his accusers came after a two-year probe that cost $2 million in legal bills for the 80-year-old lawmaker who has represented New York's Harlem neighborhood for the past 40 years. Much of the money was spent while Mr. Rangel was still chairman of the powerful tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, a position he fought to hold but relinquished under pressure in March.
His high-powered legal team left the case last month after Mr. Rangel said he had exhausted the campaign funds he used to pay their bills. As a member of Congress, he is neither entitled nor allowed to accept free legal representation.
Within the first minutes of Monday's hearing, the New York lawmaker seized the spotlight. With his wife sitting crying in the audience, Mr. Rangel pleaded for more time to get a lawyer.
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U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) spoke during a House Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics) Committee hearing Monday.
."I am being denied the right to have a lawyer right now because I don't have the opportunity to have a legal defense fund set up," he said. "I truly believe I am not being treated fairly.''
He then walked out.
After quickly convening behind closed doors, Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D., Calif.) and the other panel members chose to continue without him. "He has indicated that he does not intend to participate, and it is his right not to participate,'' said Ms. Lofgren.
Hours later, she emerged again to say the lawmakers had found the facts alleged by investigators are true. If the eight panel members find Mr. Rangel guilty of breaking ethics rules, the full 10-member ethics panel will make a recommendation on punishment that would then be voted on by the full House.
Mr. Rangel faces 13 counts of violating House rules, including failing to report assets, failing to pay taxes on rental income from a vacation property and misusing congressional stationery to try to raise money for a college center named in his honor.
A House ethics panel is deciding whether Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel is guilty of violating House ethics rules after the eight lawmakers decided to accept as fact the entire prosecution's case against him. Jerry Seib discusses.
.The last time the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct held such hearings was in 2002 against then-Rep. James Traficant (D., Ohio), but the committee in that case was simply following investigative work done by federal prosecutors.
Mr. Rangel's case marks the first time the House ethics committee has independently investigated and convened hearings on lawmaker misconduct since 1987.
The senior Republican on the committee, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, called the Rangel hearing "an important day, both for Mr. Rangel, for this committee, for the Congress, but most importantly for the American people.''
Mr. Rangel did find some sympathy from the committee over the departure of his lawyers last month.
"It's an astonishing display of professional irresponsibility, for a law firm to take so much money to represent an individual then withdraw," said Rep. Peter Welch (D., Vt.).
The law firm that had represented Mr. Rangel, Zuckerman Spaeder, said in a statement that it had been "a privilege'' to represent him, adding the lawyers "did not seek to terminate the relationship and explored every alternative to remain as his counsel consistent with House ethics rules prohibiting members from accepting pro bono legal services.''
After Mr. Rangel left the hearing, Blake Chisam, the committee lawyer acting as a prosecutor in the case, outlined the evidence against the congressman, facing an empty defense table. Under questioning from lawmakers, Mr. Chisam said he didn't believe Mr. Rangel's actions were corrupt, but were sloppy and in violation of House ethics rules.
The formal charges were filed against Mr. Rangel in July, prompting some fellow Democrats to urge him to leave Congress. The accusations aren't viewed by investigators as corruption or profiting from his position, but rather a failure to follow the rules of ethical conduct and accurately report his finances as required.
Thus, Mr. Rangel is unlikely to face expulsion from the House even with a finding of guilt; the most likely punishment would be a public reprimand.
Mr. Rangel was not in the hearing room when the panel announced its decision. Instead, he said, he watched the proceedings on television in his office.
The case has been a source of embarrassment for Democrats who took control of the House in 2007 pledging to run the most ethical Congress in history.
Write to Devlin Barrett at devlin.barrett@wsj.com |
