Rangel Confident About His Ethics Investigation
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Congressman Charles Rangel said Tuesday he is sure he'll be cleared by a House Ethics Committee investigation which is scheduled to be completed by next month.
The committee's looking into reports that Rangel did not pay taxes on a vacation home, has three rent-stabilized apartments and inappropriately used his office to solicit donations for a college center in his name.
Speaking at an event with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Democratic Manhattan representative said he is not worried.
"I don't want to appear to be overconfident, but it just should be common sense," said Rangel. "If I truly believe I'm guilty of no wrongdoing, would I say, ‘Hey, what do you do? I judge ethics. What do you do? Based on the law. And what do you do when you finish? I report back to the people.’ Am I confident? You're damn right. I'm the one who asked for it."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has supported Rangel and resisted calls for him to step down from his powerful chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee.