Republican keeps ethics and tax payments in the news cycle

Politico:

Republican Rep. John R. Carter of Texas offered legislation Wednesday that would require Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel to relinquish his gavel until the ethics committee completes an investigation into Rangel’s finances.

Under the rules of the House, members must consider Carter's resolution by next Tuesday, forcing Democrats to confront Rangel’s ethics in the same week they will try to move the massive economic stimulus and a handful of late appropriations bills.

The House ethics committee is in the middle of a lengthy investigation into Rangel's personal finances and his fundraising on behalf of a New York nonprofit that bears his name.

“It brings me no joy to introduce this legislation concerning a colleague,” Carter said in a statement accompanying his resolution. “But this body has a high duty and obligation to conduct itself in a way that restores public confidence in the integrity of this institution. When charges of this magnitude are pending against a member, the House must respond in a way that achieves that goal."

The resolution cites newspaper stories documenting Rangel's failure to pay taxes on rental income from a condo in the Dominican Republic and his role "preserving a lucrative tax loophole that benefited ... an oil drilling company ... at the same time its chief executive was pledging $1 million to the Charles B. Rangel School of Public Service at [City College of New York]."

...
Rangel has so far been able to slow role the ethics investigation. I think that is on purpose and the Democrat majority seem to be going along with the plan. Carter has been putting the heat on Rangel lately. A few days ago he introduced a bill that would permit taxpayers to write "Rangel Rule" on their tax payments in order to avoid paying penalties and interest. With the Daschle and Giethner tax problems a discussion of Rangel seems timely.

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