Ethics Panel Recommends Reprimand for Charles Rangel

Tina Fineberg

Updated 5:22 p.m. Eastern Time

Texas Democratic Rep. Gene Green, the chair of the subcommittee investigating ethics charges against New York Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel, told CBS News Capitol Hill Producer Jill Jackson and other reporters Friday that the subcommittee is recommending that Rangel be reprimanded by the full House.

An angry Rangel, walking to his office, said Green's claim is categorically untrue.*

"You know, it's so difficult when people have bad information for me to correct it," Rangel said, prompting a reporter to point out that the reprimand recommendation claim had come from the subcommittee chair.

"It is so difficult when the statement is absolutely untrue," he said. Asked why he would not accept a reprimand, Rangel said, "I'm saying your statement is untrue. It is untrue if they said that. That's just not so."

*UPDATE: Rangel's Attorney Leslie Kiernan e-mails that Rangel "misspoke."

"The appropriate sanction, including reprimand, was one of a number of issues addressed in settlement discussions," said Kiernan.

The action now moves to the House Ethics adjudicatory subcommittee, which will decide whether to accept the investigatory subcommittee's recommendation or change it at the end of Rangel's trial -- unless a settlement is reached first.

"If we could have reached a settlement we would have recommended that to the full committee...but that didn't happen," Green said.

Asked if Rangel put a settlement on the table, Green replied, "At different times there were offers from both sides." He said there was never a vote on a proposed deal.

If the recommendation is accepted and no settlement is reached, the full House would have to vote on whether to reprimand the longtime Harlem lawmaker.

The House Ethics Committee brought 13 charges against Rangel yesterday -- Jackson lays them out here.

Green also said some of the closed-door votes on bringing each of those 13 charges had not been unanimous.

Reprimand - which is what Rep. Joe Wilson faced after his infamous "You Lie!" outburst - would be a relatively weak punishment for Rangel that lacks disciplinary action. It is a weaker rebuke then a censure, which could result in a member losing his or her chairmanships or seniority.

The strongest possible action is expulsion, which requires a two-thirds vote by the House. The House has only expelled five members ever: three for disloyalty to the union during the Civil War, one (Rep. Michael Ozzie) as part of the ABSCAM scandal, and one (James Traficant) in 2002 after 10-count federal convictions for kickbacks, bribery and other violations.

[georgiarat]

So a Republican gets a reprimand for shouting You Lie at the President (which turned out to be a true comment as proven over the following months) but Rangel breaks tax laws in a major way, lies to colleagues, steals funds, and is given a reprimand and does not have to face charges on the tax accounts.

This is why the Dems were shellacked in the Fall Election and why no reasonable person should even consider voting for a Democrat.

[shadowofself]

One has to wonder if any seriously thought this would turn out any different? The laws do not apply to members of Congress or any other Federal government officals, evidently. Rangle has been cheating and lying so long he doesn't know when he is lying or not. He must really believe that he is above the law or else he is so far gone that there is no hope for his mental state.

[us_1776]

Both sides of the aisle are calling for Charlie Rangel to step down.

Charlie, this is one battle you are not going to win. And don't count on many of us on the left to come to your defense. Please step down and do yourself and the House a favor.




.

[BringMoney]

The investigating subcommittee wants only to reprimand Rangel so that when Rangel is on their investigating subcommittee he'll want only to reprimand them. That's how it works. They're all lying sacks of you-know-what!

[democratnomore]

Why am I not surprised? What a joke! Good thing they are "draining the swamp"!! LOL,....Don't worry, the American voter will handle it for you in November!

[wfw3536]

This such a joke that the democrats are giving this guy a pass on breaking tax laws which by the way he helped write, and allowing him to get away with this, is just wrong. You can bet a regular folk would be facing jail time already. Where are the high standards the democrats promised? And now we find out that democratic congresswomen Waters helped get her husbands bank special treatment. Time to throw these folks out of office and get in some folks who are honest.

[1renegade]

Yet, they swarm Arizona for trying to protect itself. Crimes have been commited and they want to slap him on the wrist??? Does he get a pass because he is a black Democrat?? He is the epitamy of the African-American race. People like him are another reason that minorities have a hard time getting fair treatment. It amazes me when a person from a minority gets into a position of power and abuses it. Rangel should be more like Colin Powell he came from the ghetto but refused to act like a jacka**.

[msjb1]

yes lets spank him and make him go to bed early for the next month and to really teach him a lesson lets pay off all the money he owes then let him retire with full honors and a 21 gun salute he deserves it thats for sure just another great politician.

[wfw3536]

The democrats have hit a new low. This is such a joke, here the guy breaks tax laws and more and he gets a slap on the hand. If he were one of us, by this time we would be on trail and looking at jail time. This is just terrible that because he is a politican he can just walk away from breaking the law.

[msjb1]

politicians and movie stars live under our higher class laws they are allowed to bend the rules to what fits the case

[rocketjl]

Lord, Congress had it made. Commit all the crimes you want and Eric Holder will not enforce the law. He will leave it to Congress. Congress will struggle on how little to charge a crook with. The crook has more friends than the good guys, so what will people do?