Reports: Rangel Cuts Deal, Avoids Trial

[jefferson_dem]

Source: CBS

Reports: Rangel Cuts Deal, Avoids Trial

Embattled Representative Reportedly To Admit Ethical Wrongdoing

NEW YORK (CBS) ―

New York Congressman Charles Rangel has reportedly cut a deal to admit to ethical wrongdoing and avoid a potentially humiliating public trial.

Harlem friends of Rangel tell CBS 2 they have been told that the details could be unveiled when the House Ethics Committee meets Thursday afternoon.

It's the culmination of two years of scandal for the 20-term Democratic lawmaker. At issue is whether the former head of the House Ways and Means committee will admit to any serious ethical wrongdoing. Rangel is being charged with misusing his office for fundraising, failure to disclose income, belated payment of taxes and possible help with a tax shelter for a company whose chief executive was a major donor.


Read more: http://wcbstv.com/politics/charlie.rangel.ethics.2.1831649.html

[Ozymanithrax]

1. Not the first time that the Ways and Means comittee lead to crimes.

I think Charlie Rangel has done some good things over the years, along with the bad.

[Warpy]

2. He has. I thought he'd probably take some sort of deal

in order to protect his pension, protesting his innocence all the way. You can never count on what a judge and jury will do to you.

However, it seems that particular committee is an irresistible invitation to chisel. Terms on that committee should be curtailed and members rotated in and out with every Congress.

[Ozymanithrax]

4. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely... n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

7. One of the saddest of all the sad truths....

[DCBob]

3. smart thing to do for himself and the party.

curious what the deal is.

[davidinalameda]

5. hopefully it either involves him resigning

or at least agreeing not to run for reelection

[D-Lee]

9. hopefully, it involves him not resigning nt

[FBaggins]

12. Channeling republicans, eh?

There's little they would like more than to keep him around through November.

[CreekDog]

13. hopefully it does involve him resigning

the longer this goes on the easier it gets for Harlem to find a better rep than Rangel.

he had a good run but then ultimately, couldn't resist breaking the rules for his own benefit.

[mikelgb]

6. Accused of using his power to cut deals with donors...

the Ethics panel cuts a deal with Rangel. Luvs teh Washington.

[FBaggins]

8. Nope... he cut a deal with the lawyers - Republicans are blocking it.

Once the committee made the charges, the only way to cut a deal is to get the committee to agree to it - and there's no way that the republicans will go along with the idea now that they have a big fish on the line.

From the AP report:

"The deal between the lawyers will have little meaning if the committee members don't approve it, and Republicans said at the proceeding they were insisting on going forward with a trial. The panel is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans."

He should have cut a deal (or resigned) before the charges were voted on.

[saigon68]

14. He was an AssHole to the TV reporter from MSNBC

What a fucking creep. I expected more from him. He's just like the late Richard Daley of Chicago (a thug and Hoodlum)

[defendandprotect]

10. k

[defendandprotect]

11. Is he still in -- or out of -- Congress??