WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2008

Rep. Rangel's Benz Towed From Capitol Lot

Embattled N.Y. Democrat Found Using Government Lot To Store Vintage 1972 Auto

  • Rep. Charles Rangel (pictured here in 2007) is facing mounting criticism and ethics investigations into rental properties, tax evasion and fundraising. Now the greatest indignity: his vintage Mercedes Benz has been towed from a Capitol Hill parking lot.

    Rep. Charles Rangel (pictured here in 2007) is facing mounting criticism and ethics investigations into rental properties, tax evasion and fundraising. Now the greatest indignity: his vintage Mercedes Benz has been towed from a Capitol Hill parking lot.  (GETTY IMAGES/Mark Wilson)

(CBS/AP)  A vintage car that Rep. Charles Rangel has stored in a congressional parking lot in violation of rules has been towed away.

The New York Post reported Friday that the 1972 silver Mercedes-Benz, whose registration expired four years ago and which was being kept in a House of Representatives indoor lot without plates, was towed.

House rules require cars to display proper identification including plates and forbid use of the garage for storage.

Rangel has so far declined to answer questions about the car. The House Web site says anyone with a reserved indoor space incurs taxable income currently calculated at $100 per month.

An employee of the Falls Church, Va., towing company said the car was taken to a dealership for service.

The towing came as leaders of the House ethics committee said they plan to begin investigating some of the ethical issues surrounding Rangel, chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee.

Rangel, a Democrat, has asked the committee to investigate him for not reporting rental income on a Dominican Republic vacation house; for his use of four rent-stabilized apartments in Harlem; and for his use of congressional stationery to drum up private funding for a college center named after him.

On Thursday the House voted on a measure offered by Republican Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, calling for Rangel to lose his committee post. The move failed.

An earlier House vote seeking to censure Rangel also failed by a wide margin.

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Add a Comment See all 36 Comments
by gmkjr49 September 21, 2008 3:48 PM EDT
Oh come on. A 1972 Benz isn''t worth much, and the cost of fixing it to drive isn''t going to be cheap, either.

Probably one of those middle age "I wish I could have afforded it when I was young enough to enjoy it" fantasies.

And I''d bet that the guys who patrol the garages knew exacly whose car it was, too. That doesn''t excuse the tax issues or the letterhead abuse, but after recent shenanigans by the Repubs prior to the ''06 change of leadership, well, you decide.... Which brings to mind the fact that more than 2 of the ''storage'' years were when the Repubs were running the garage.
Reply to this comment
by chimpyout September 20, 2008 11:11 AM EDT
He should park it on the street (pick any neighborhood) and the homeys will take care of the problem.
Reply to this comment
by m0nkeyb0nes September 20, 2008 3:35 AM EDT
txpatriot4us, stupid and full of hate is no way to go through life. Showing off how moronic you are for all to see isn''t wise either. At least be clever or actually humorous of which you are neither. Sarcasm loses it''s effectiveness when coming from an idiot. Keep working on it, one day you might actually score but i doubt it.
Reply to this comment
by txpatriot4us September 20, 2008 3:09 AM EDT
To continue the lipstick jokes:

Put lipstick on charles rangel and he
looks like michelle obama with a mustache.
Posted by rushlimpdrug

_____________________________________________________

Yeah and Georgie Bush was a Cheer Leader who wore his mommies make-up.(True Story) What do you have when Rush Limpwadd wears lipstick? Nothing different he is still a Pig or was that Karl Rover in Drag?
Reply to this comment
by kansas1946 September 20, 2008 1:44 AM EDT
Lord, the arrogance and utter disregard for just basic courtesy and honesty of politicians just blows my mind. They want to set up on "the hill" and write all of these laws for the rest of us, but don''t want to be bothered by those same laws. If Rangel doesn''t get arrested for some of his shennanegans, then his district should vote him our of office.
And by the way, I am voting for Obama, and am proud to do it.
Reply to this comment
by rushlimpdrug September 19, 2008 11:02 PM EDT

PLEEZE someone get a photo of this punk
driving the benz.

Reply to this comment
by rushlimpdrug September 19, 2008 10:53 PM EDT

"Rangel has so far declined to answer questions about the car."

Here are some questions I have:

1. What color is it?

2. What model is it?

3. What is wrong with the car?

4. Would he like to sell it to a TAXPAYER?

5. What is so special about this car?

6. How soon can he leave politics?

Reply to this comment
by stn_sage September 19, 2008 10:47 PM EDT
He''s been storing this thing illegally for FOUR YEARS!

Then it should have been towed FOUR YEARS ago! Not now.
Someone was derelict in their duties to let this go on for so long!

Additionally, Rangel should have to pay some type of fine on this as well! He should also get a non-punitive letter of reprimand placed in the Congressional Record about this, too!

This kind of petty abuse CANNOT be tolerated from EITHER major party!
Reply to this comment
by rushlimpdrug September 19, 2008 10:42 PM EDT

Rangel = race hustling poverty pimp
..... typical Obama Democrat.
Posted by negrovote- at 07:05 PM


- - Absolutely on the mark:


Who be taking my Benzo??? sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet...
Posted by badaxmofo at 07:26 PM


Tooooo funny!


charles rangel is proof positive that
new yorkers are as stupid a voter as they come.


Reply to this comment
by rushlimpdrug September 19, 2008 10:35 PM EDT

ol'' charlie be doing the country a
GREAT diservice.

Send his funky aaazzzz to dominican republic
along with his benz
so he can hire folks from Haiti to work on
his vacation house.

What a total loser this Rangel.

A political punk of the worst kind.

Reply to this comment
by rushlimpdrug September 19, 2008 10:07 PM EDT

To continue the lipstick jokes:

Put lipstick on charles rangel and he
looks like michelle obama with a mustache.

Reply to this comment
by rushlimpdrug September 19, 2008 10:04 PM EDT

IF YOU DONT VOTE FOR OBAMA AND YOU PUNISH RANGEL, YOU ARE A RACIST OF THE WORSE KIND.
Posted by jaxsterling5 at 06:32 PM


Yeah, I hear that a LOT.

Don''t vote for what you feel is best
(of the two worst possible candidates)
for the country.

Vote to not be racist.

Reply to this comment
by lucasnico September 19, 2008 9:23 PM EDT
Oh come on people, isn''''t the story about Palin''''s e-mails way more interesting than this(sarcastic). There are so many crooked dems that we''''ve all become numb to it. Oh the hypocracy. I''''ve said it once and I''''ll say it again, you dems drones no longer have any credibility.

Posted by luvusa

Credibility?? We could start with Bush and move through Larry Craig and a list too long to cover on any one page of all corrupt republican sexual activity involving underage girls AND boys
Reply to this comment
by o_emptysuit September 19, 2008 9:19 PM EDT
Ha, ha sounds like you were parked in the ''Disabled Parking'' space there Rangle. Remember tossing stones when living in an ocean side glass villa can come back to haunt you.

McCain / Palin 08
Reply to this comment
by demwatcher September 19, 2008 9:15 PM EDT
"[Democrats are the bane of America!]
[Posted by OneAmerican6 at 04:57 PM : Sep 19, 2008]

what does that make the republicans?

Posted by bobnjersey at 05:11 PM : Sep 19, 2008"

The winners.
Reply to this comment
by rushlimpdrug September 19, 2008 9:07 PM EDT


I have never even heard of him. How can he be a great national figure????
If he is cheating he should be punish just like anybody else no matter who he is!!!!
Posted by amerifemale at 04:56 PM


FYI he is the man that made Hillary step down because
the superdelegates were all bought up.

Reply to this comment
by hypnotoad72 September 19, 2008 8:51 PM EDT

Voters can be hopeful that The Real American Team of McCain-Palin will clean up this cesspool and restore common sense and ethical behavior.

Posted by ImpeachNOW
---------------

I hope so. I know Dems have used the mantra of "getting corporate money because we otherwise don''t have a chance" - therefore McCain also using lobbyist money while desiring reform is being used against him. By Democrats. I''m sure there''s a difference; not sure where...

Reply to this comment
by bobnjersey September 19, 2008 8:13 PM EDT
[On the other hand, what would you expect plagiarist-joe biden, a 30+ year Beltway politics-as-usual parasite and the poster-boy for all that is rotten with Washington, to do?]
[Posted by ImpeachNOW at 04:32 PM : Sep 19, 2008 ]

where''s tom delay on your list?

i''m guessing you have posters on your bedroom walls.
Reply to this comment
by bobnjersey September 19, 2008 8:11 PM EDT
[Democrats are the bane of America!]
[Posted by OneAmerican6 at 04:57 PM : Sep 19, 2008]

what does that make the republicans?
Reply to this comment
by im4honesty September 19, 2008 8:02 PM EDT
This is awful!! This Rangel guy should be locked up for life!! Several times worse than outing a CIA operative!! This is treason, parking on the government lot!! This should quiet all those harping about the lies told to take us into an illegal war!! The worst things Bush/Cheney ever did were looting the treasury, attacking a country that could not and would not harm us, causing the deaths of thousands of young Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis.
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