A slap on the wrist for Rep Charles Rangel's crimes

On Thursday evening 18 November 2010 the Ethics Committee of the US House of Representatives returned a 9-1 vote in favour of censure for the 40 year congressman. On Tuesday 16 November 2010 the US House Ethics Committee issued its report in this case.

Rangel faced multiple charges in relation to soliciting funds for a charity without registering to do so, illegally receiving apartment units at reduced rates and not reporting income on rental properties and tax evasion. Rangel admitted his failings but asked that he be specifically found to have not personally benefited from the offenses.

Of the possible penalties that could have been imposed the committee selected the middle of reprimand, censure or expulsion. At a minimum Rangel should have been expelled from Congress.

Rangel should now be charged criminally.

There should be a double standard for these elected officials who violate their oath and the law. It shouldn't be in the current form where they are not held accountable. It should be where these officials receive a sentencing enhancement.

When I was tried in US District Court for subletting a town home to someone who didn't pay federal excise taxes on goods stored in that home I was convicted and imprisoned at a high security prison. I didn't gain financially other than having someone else pay the rent while I wasn't living there. I didn't know the goods were being stored there. I didn't know that being the primary lessee made me responsible for his actions.

I wish I had the privileges of public officials. My co-workers could have assembled and decided if they wanted me to be harangued by them or fired instead of me going to prison.

I never took an oath to obey the laws, I never sat on a committee who wrote the tax laws and I didn't benefit from failing to pay the excise taxes in my case and I got sent to prison for over a year at a considerable cost to taxpayers. Rangel did all three and now will face a scolding by his colleagues.

This is an outrage. Rangel should spend his remaining days in prison.


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