Culture of corruption: Rangel (and Pelosi) on trial; Update: sob story circus, delay rejected, Rangel-less hearing
Drain the swamp? HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Corruptocrat Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) faces his delayed House ethics trial today at 9am Eastern — though reports say he may not show. Stay tuned for updates.
CSPAN-3 is supposed to carry the proceedings – online stream is here.
Rangel is expected to stand alone before the panel without a defense team; the lawyers quit after a tussle over strategy two months ago. The adjudicatory hearing comes just as another dark cloud rolls in over Rangel’s head. Via the NYPost, Rangel “appears to have improperly used political-action committee money to pay for his defense,” which he no longer has. “Rangel tapped his National Leadership PAC for $293,000 to pay his main legal-defense team this year. He took another $100,000 from the PAC in 2009 to pay lawyer Lanny Davis. Two legal experts told The Post such spending is against House rules.” Which House rules hasn’t Rangel broken?
The most ethical, transparent House ever is operating in its usual cloaked manner. WaPo reports: “The logistics of the cases are somewhat unclear because the ethics committee tends to operate in deep levels of secrecy. The prosecution will be represented by staff lawyers for the committee who handled the two-year investigation of Rangel; the congressman is expected to deliver an opening statement that would likely mirror much of his August floor speech. It is unclear whether witnesses will be on hand or if committee lawyers will just read transcripts, and, if witnesses are present, whether Rangel will cross-examine them under oath.”
A reminder of the 13 charges against Rangel, which were unveiled back in July:
Count I: Conduct in Violation of the Solicitation and Gift Ban
Count II: Conduct in Violation of Code of Ethics for Government Service
Count III: Conduct in Violation of the House Gift Rule
Count IV: Conduct in Violation of Postal Service Laws and Franking Commission Regulations
Count V: Conduct in Violation of Franking Statue
Count VI: Conduct in Violation of House Office Building Commission’s Regulations
Count VII: Conduct in Violation of the Purpose Law and the Member’s Congressional Handbook
Count VIII: Conduct in Violation of the Letterhead Rule
Count IX: Conduct in Violation of the Ethics in Government Act (EIGA) and House Rule XXVI
Count X: Conduct in Violation of Code of Ethics for Government Service
Count XI: Conduct in Violation of Code of Ethics for Government Service
Count XII: Conduct in Violation of Code of Conduct: Letter and Spirit of House Rules
Count XIII: Conduct in Violation of the Code of Conduct: Conduct Reflecting Discreditably on the House
Yes, the dirty laundry that the Dems stuffed in a closet during the midterms will finally get an airing. It’s as much a trial of Rangel as it is of Swamp Drain Failure Nancy Pelosi.
Mop and glow, Dems!
***
Update: 9:10am Eastern. Hearing has begun. Rangel showed up. Mirabile dictu!
Update: 9:30am – Rangel is playing victim, asking for more time. Complains about toll on family, pleads for delay because of – wait for it – lack of money!
Rangel threatens to walk out. Panel retreats behind closed doors.
Update 10:23am Panel will not delay trial. Hearing will proceed without Rangel. A few of the Democrats cry “unfair” on Rangel’s behalf, but chairwoman Rep. Lofgren proceeds.
House investigator Blake Chisam notes that Rangel had six months’ notice, refused to respond or prepare a case. “It’s time for you to vote.”
Investigator is reviewing the 13 charges. “The facts are uncontested.” Rangel “repeatedly” he did not get disclosure and tax filings correct.
Damning: Chisam shows video clips of Rangel from his House floor meltdown, which corroborate violations of rules.
Update: 11:30am Eastern Panel adjourns until 1pm Eastern to discuss motion to vote on charges.
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The corruption this week is going to be the GM IPO. Instead of jobs going overseas, China is going to be buying ownership of GM.
What I want to know is if the Fed is going to use any of the QE2 600B to buy GM shares. The story is that the new IPO is good news because the Treasury stake in GM will go to zero.
If the Fed can buy treasuries, what’s another 50B of the 600 B to the UAW and GM? Another bailout, illegal, we won’t know about it unless we audit the fed.
GM is run by the same people who claimed to have paid off debt by using other borrowed money. This accusation wouldn’t be without precedent for this situation.
ugh, I don’t know how my brain works sometimes. The treasury stake won’t go to zero, but it will be reduced.
I think it is just going to be transferred from the Treasury to the Fed and we won’t know about it.
I wouldn’t personally touch the stock. They haven’t done the necessary moves to put the company back in proper shape the way Ford did.
Not to worry, all Democrats are coated with Teflon when they get to Washington.
Looks like they’re going to hang out the black guy again.
yeah, because he’s black and everybody knows black people never violate the law. Just like Muslims. If you think they break the law, well then you are a racist bigot who should be charged with a hate crime just for thinking that.
oh yeah, also gay people are exempt from violating sex laws. There is no such thing as a gay sex criminal or gay pedophile. . . and if you think gay people ever commit sex crimes, well then you are a bigot homophobe.
Hey #5, remember Jefferson?
Yes, it took many years and most people forgot about it by the time the conviction was posted on page A52 by the LSM.
So it CAN happen.
Code of Conduct: Conduct Reflecting Discreditably on the House
Oath of Omerta
Send in the Clowns
Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) has made millions while representing one of the most dysfunctional Congressional Districts in the country-Harlem. Sadly the people of his district know he is a liar, thief and clown and thoroughly approve. As he will lose his Chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee perhaps Speaker Boehner can find him a new office-a really small one with bars on the windows as to represent a jail cell where the Justice Bro really belongs. Perhaps the Justice Bro could share it with the San Francisco (women of low character).
See the USA
In that Commie Made Chevrolet!
Watch for the exciting new
All Terrain Chevrolet
The Teinamen Square Squishier!
===
Let your sidearm be like American Express:
Don’t Leave home without it.
First, in any photo of Pelosi laughing with Botoxed head thrown back…she looks exactly like a donkey (aka jackass) braying…which is what a Demoncrap is.
Secondly, I echo flmom #3…Teflon-coated and the rules don’t apply to the most ethical members of Congress in D.C.
Rules? Dems don’t need no stinkin’ rules..or as Alcee Hasting said in passing Obamacare, “All this talk about rules. We make them up as we go along.”
http://www.examiner.com/republican-in-orlando/impeached-federal-judge-now-congressman-alcee-hastings-says-rules-don-t-count-passing-obamacare
Watching a recap of his hissy fit on CSPAN… good grief, what a slimy b@stard.
So, he refuses to bring a lawyer and then claims he’s being denied counsel. And I’m sure it’s all due to racism and if they just gave him 9 or 10 years, he could find a suitable lawyer.
It couldn’t have happened to a more deserving donk.
ElvisCharlie has left the building!Rangel: Waaa! Waaa! I don’t understand why I’m here….I can’t afford an attorney to represent me. I’m outta here!
Rangel ASKS for the hearing. Now he says he’s not prepared, doesn’t understand what they are trying to do, and can’t afford to hire an attorney, so he leaves his hearing? Is he trying to get a court ordered attorney to represent him at taxpayer expense? What a frackin’ a-hole!
If they Ethics Panel doesn’t urge his expulsion, then the members who don’t support expusion should themselves be tossed out of office in 2012.
Oh God, Nancy, we have to get this thing over and done while we dems are in power. You know all the times I had your back with the NY brothas, you have got to let me skate on these 13 little pesky violations. Please Nancy babe, We old timers need to hang together. Or next year, I’m going to become the biggest whisle blower the CBC has ever seen, and I do know where the bodies are buried.
Errah
Ebony And Ivory, Live corruptly together in Ole DC
Side by side in our Congress, Oh lord, Please why don’t we see?
We all know that politicians are the same where ever you go
There’s collusion and bad in every one of them
They learn to lie, They learn to cover for each other, whatever they need to survive together alive
Ebony And Ivory, Live corruptly together in Ole DC
Side by side in our Congress, Oh lord, Please why don’t we see?
The committee is likely to throw the book at him. In congressional terms that means as punsihment for the next five formal banquets he will not be allowed to have dessert, unless of course some attending lobbyist gives Rangel his.
That stern rebuke will send the appropriate message. /sarc
If you think rangel is bad just wait till waters gets before the panel! If I was a betting person, I would put money that neither rangel or waters will have anything done to them, they are d’s!
L
Three possibilities.
1) They “convict” Rangel…
a) …and give him a pretty stiff penalty. This will be the socialists pretending that they really are draining the swamp. But it is also saying to the intelligent people that just voted against them, “See! You can trust us. We’re honest. Honest!”
b) …and give him a light penalty. This is the most likely because they don’t want the Republicans to do anything that would cause him, and possibly the democrats, to lose that seat in 2012.
2) On the other hand, has anyone heard of a possible replacement for Rangel in the 2012 elections?
Comedy gold!
Gee, I was expecting him to just say, “Mind Your Goddamned Business” … and then walk out.
A vote for censure would be a good first step.
So Rangel claims he can’t afford a lawyer. Here are a few questions I would love answers to then:
1. In what type of vehicle did he arrive in today? (remember that was a point made about the car company execs)
2. Where was he during this latest recess? (some how I would be willing to bet he was vactioning somewhere sunny)
3. What happened to all the money he saved by improperly using low rent appartment as office space? (that had to save him a ton of money).
So does that mean that they get a summary judgment against him if he refuses to show up or put up a defense? Sort of like the summary judgment that the Just-Us Department got against the New Black Panthers?
So he killed his parents and is now pleading for mercy since he’s an orphan?
That’s rich.
Uh, isn’t Rangel a lawyer himself?
A vote of censure is not enough for this crook. I’m not sure jail time is enough, he’s been stealing and dealing for over 40 years, enough is enough. He is not only stealing of his constituents, he is stealing from the whole country and that is unexceptable.
I always remember when Rangel had a huge building on the campus at City University of New York named after him. Rangel didn’t have to ask anyone. He simply said that in return for federal dollars going to CUNY, the building would have to be named after him and in honor of him and that he, Charles Rangel, wanted to be honored because he was such an exceptional man. Taxpayers had no say in the decision. Rangel could decide how much federal largesse would go for “The Charles Rangel Center” and that was it.
When one Congressman (might have been Flake of Arizona, not sure) raised the question of the ethics of congressmen insisting that federal buildings be named for themselves, Rangel responded by snorting out: “Maybe if the building was named after you, it would be improper..” Rangel’s sense of entitlement was total. He never doubted that he was a special, entitled person who could use the taxpayer’s money as a means to selfaggrandizement. The whole episode was on CSpan and presumably is still available. It should go on youtube and everyone can see what an egomaniac (for what reason, I am not sure) Charles Rangel is.
Sure he has a defense — one which would easily get him off by splitting the panel 4-4. It’s a simple, two-word self-exoneration:
George Bush!!!
Why he’s elected not to use it, only Cholly knows…
Unseated federal judge Alcee Hastings is still in the Congress. Why shouldn’t Rangel be sitting right next to him?
Re pic:
Rangel: And so the spic turns to the jew and says…
Pelosi: Blahahahaha! Stop! Stop! I’m going to pee my pants!
***
The liberals / socialists / statists / marxists / communists always claim that their goal is to provide equality and fairness for all.
***
Then they exempt themselves from the rules they impose on us peons–and get rich on our backs.
***
I don’t think my failure to show up for Jury Duty–or at a traffic court hearing–would be treated as nicely as Cholly Rangle’s will be. I would get Sheriff deputies with handcuffs, jail booking, bail payments, fines, and would have to pay court costs.
***
How ’bout some equal opportunity treatment for this CorruptocRAT?
***
John Bibb
***
How do you know when you have a liberal by the short hairs?…they change the subject, blame somebody else, don’t show up, yell, become irrational, yell racism and claim that they did it…wait for it…..for the children.
Has Charlie Rangel wrangled his last wrangle in Washington? (Try saying that last sentence really fast). Charlie states fellow Dems are not helping him raise the money for his legal fees. They owe him, you know.
I would think someone would volunteer to represent him…or Dear Leader himself (wait, he no longer has a law license). Bill Clinton…unsure if he reinstated his law license after impeachment. I nominate Ted Kennedy (wait). His buddy Corinne Brown has an honorary law degree, sort of like my honorary degree in neurosurgery (wait, she has had ethics charges as well? oopsie). John Conyers is an attorney (wait, he has ethics charges as well).
I tried to help you, Charlie. Guess you are on your own. Popcorn popping.
Errah
Pelosi: “So the pilot lands our jet at Andrews and I press the stewardess button. A full bird colonel comes back and asks me if there’s anything wrong and I tell him “Keep it idling sweet cheeks, I’ll be back in a week!” and I smack him on the arsz, then proceed to my limo . . . .”
Rangel: Snort! Brahhhhhhh hah hah ha hah hahahh. . . . “I think I just peed myself!!!”
Guilty before proven innocent. Dems are still in charge right?
How many Charlie Rangle’s does it take to turn on a light bulb?
Zero because the whining and ranting of one just turns it off.
As Dear Charles only heard about this investigation last week I guess he could plead diminished capacity. As a Committee Chairman it just might work.
===
Let your sidearm be like American Express:
Don’t Leave home without it.
If you can’t be bothered to put up a defense, you usually lose to a summary judgment.
Rangel should be in jail for all of his theft.
Pelosi should be in jail for falsely certifying Obama’s eligibility.
This just in, Rangel guilty of all ethics charges. Punishment will be a formal announcment of his guilt and a stern talking to at the next morning session of Congress that no one attends, then we will all go back to work like nothing happened because nothing of consequence will happen.
Will he be kicked out of congress? No.
Will he lose his committee chair? No.
Will he pay a fine? No.
Will he spend time behind bars? No.
Will he receive additional funding to help pay attorneys and for other bribes? Yes.
Its all good in Charlie land. He was reelected. There will be no punishment and he will continue to maintain his innocence. So what was accomplished by this? Exposure of corruption? These are Dems. They have to be corrupt to stay in power so we already knew that.
Its meaningless kabuki theatre.