(CNN) - The House Ethics Committee will hold a formal hearing on alleged violations by Rep. Charles Rangel, the New York Democrat forced to step aside as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee earlier this year over ethics questions, a senior Democratic source told CNN on Thursday.
The panel has been looking at several alleged ethical violations involving Rangel. A formal hearing will be a trial-like session involving
formal charges with lawyers for the House acting as prosecutors and Rangel's lawyers defending him.
There was no immediate information available on the exact charges Rangel faces, or when the formal hearing will begin.
In comments to reporters, Rangel said he welcomed the news and wanted to testify in his defense.
"It gives me an opportunity to respond to my friends and constituents who have supported me for 40 years," Rangel said. "All I've been able to give them is 'trust me.' "
Now, he said, the facts will come out.
Rangel temporarily stepped down as Ways and Means chairman following the announcement of an ethics investigation of several allegations, including failure to pay taxes on a home in the Dominican Republic
The congressman has also admitted a failure to report several hundred thousand dollars in assets on federal disclosure forms.
In addition, he is under scrutiny for the purported misuse of a rent-controlled apartment for political purposes, as well as for allegedly
preserving tax benefits for an oil-drilling company in exchange for donations to a project he supported at the City College of New York.
The House ethics committee previously admonished Rangel for violating rules on receiving gifts. Specifically, the committee found that Rangel violated House gift rules by accepting reimbursement payments for travel to conferences in the Caribbean in 2007 and 2008.
Rangel, who has served 20 consecutive terms in the House, has several challengers in the Democratic primary for the November mid-term congressional election.
From CNN Politics
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We think that Congressman (holder of the Bronze Star Combat medal) should go before the press cameras, hankerchief in hand, and tearfully admit guilt, wipe his eyes, and promise to do better...works for a whole bunch of repubno's (Vitter, Ensign, Craig, and Foley)...why not for Charlie?
I'm a Democrat and will admit it has taken to long to come to this point in the investigation. Charlie should have been prosecuted and gnetly placed in prison long before now but I guess that's politics.
I'm an independent and I have thought for a long time that he needs to go.
As does Ensign, for pay his mistress's husband' and kids. Kick 'em both out. And Vitter too.
It's not one side or the other on this ethics and morals thing - it just needs to happen. What a horrible example we set for our children and the world to see.
They need to boot all of those people who have been in office for a long time, Democrats and Republican's! They need to limit their terms just like president's do. Also once they leave office they should not be getting one dime of the taxpayer's money for the rest of their lives. When someone loses their job they don't get paid for the rest of their lives from that company! Enough is enough. People need to unite instead of bashing each other with each other's political views, this includes me also. We need to take control of "We the People"! May God bless us all.
Nice placement by the unbiased cnn. The Chief TAX WRITER IN THE UNITED STATES, A DEMOCRAT, A DEMOCRAT,A DEMOCRAT, IS A TAX CHEAT. he didtnt know,he has to pay taxes on $75k worth of income. Isnt that just wonderful.
Guilty, therefore he will join Bill Clinton, Tom Daschle, Chris Dodd, Al Gore and the rest of the corrupt Democraps where he will be promoted to the highest ranks of the Democratic Party and the taxpayer will fund his Golden retirement and healthcare benefits in perpetuity...
We do we all get to go to DC and drag the guilty out and hang them?
It's about time!
As a Democrat, it is time for this brother to move on.
Throw the fool out and then start on the next crook. Term Limits are the answer.
Time for a giant leftist race card defense!
Charlie is a crook, that makes him about the same as most of Congress. This is why we need term limits!
Jeez, another crook in Washington? What will it take to get crooked, dishonest people out of politics?
I have to take a business ethics class every hear just to stay employed where I am – and I'm just an Engineer. What say we make it a requirement to have these bozos in Congress do the same?
* No money from PACs or corporations.
* Immediate disclosure of all income taxes and assets
* Ethics auditors, Sarbanes-Oxley style.
Get the $$$ out of Washington, and you'll see rapid improvement.
I'm a hardcore Dem and I will say what we all know...Rangel is slimey.
Not as slimey as most of the GOP, but still really slimey....:)
If he was a conservative and not a democrat he would have been kicked out of congress a long time ago. Disgusting.
The way I see it, he either knowingly cheated and deserves to go to jail and lose his seat, or he doesn't know how to file his taxes and should absolutely lose his job as Chairman of the committee that writes tax laws. Personally, I think he knew what he was doing the whole time. His excuse was he forgot about property he owned so he forgot to claim it. Really? Who here has so much property they forget some they own?
He'll get the "Cold Cash" Jefferson treatment. Pelosi will say some bad things about him publicly and they'll say something lame like: "You gotta understand that he came from poverty. It's not his fault. He was kept down by rich white men for too long."
Another criminally bent whacked out loony lib Dem who acted stupidly.
Thor:
It's called TERM LIMITS. Push for it. Ask your candidates if they will vote it in. It is past time we had them and I for one am looking a one 6 year term with no benefits for a lifetime after they leave office.
Remember that the Dems also got themselves exempted from being subject to Obamacare. Scummier scum has never existed in this recently great country. Now begone all of you crooked pols come November so that we can return to greatness.
Thor you are a jerk trying to put this on the same scale as Bernie . But since he is a democrat I know everyone will think he must be guilty. If only he had of done something like used prostitutes or gone to Argentina or Had a mistress or gone to sex clubs. Then the repos would love him and nothing bad would happen to him. Oh when did he raise your taxes .?? And maybe he is a crook but surely not the biggest thats reserved for the repos. They have a BS degree in slime. and an AA in perversion. So really he is a little crook and not even in their league.
That's the best Republicans can do, discounts on housing and not reporting all of his assets? What a joke. Don't waste taxpayer money trying to prosecute until he does something all politicians do.
Lets just see where this goes. Do your job ethics committee! Pelosi promised to "Drain the swamp". We are still waiting!!!
Another 'poster boy' for term limits. I believe all politicians cheat & lie; it's just a matter of degree.
He ought to be arrested just for that lousy sneer he always has on his face.
CROOK
Finally! there is hope george guadiane, integrity exists here aftr all. Kudos!