(2010-07-30) — Hours before his trial was set to begin in the House, veteran Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY, struck a deal late last night with the House ethics panel which has charged him with 13 violations of Congressional rules and federal law.
Under the terms of the agreement, Rep. Rangel, who claims he’s done nothing but serve the people over the past 40 years, will be restored to the chairmanship of the powerful Ways and Means Committee in return for a ‘very sincere promise’ to be more subtle in the future about misappropriation of tax-payer dollars.
“Charlies sin wasn’t his failure to report tens of thousands of dollars in rental income, or using a government-subsidized apartment for his personal office, or using Congressional stationery to raise money for his own foundation, or any of the other charges,” said a House colleague. “I mean who among us hasn’t done something like that? No, Charlie’s real crime was clumsiness — like our old friend Sandy Berger’s sloppiness with national security documents.”
The unnamed House member added that Congress doesn’t demand much of its members “in exchange for a job that lets you parade around preening like the Prince of Porkingham palace. A little discretion is all we ask.”


