Yes, “steal.” Rep. Charles Rangel was not allowed to use money from his leadership PAC to pay his legal bills, it beggars belief that he did not know that he was not allowed to use money from his leadership PAC to pay his legal bills, and yet he did it anyway. If we can’t call the deliberate diversion of money that was raised and allocated for other people’s use ‘theft’ then we might as well give up the entire civilization thing now and go back to living in caves.
It doesn’t really matter anyway, of course. The Democratic panelists on the ethics trial that’s supposed to start tomorrow will not sign off on any sort of meaningful punishment for the Congressman: he’ll be slapped on the wrist in any Democratic-controlled Congress, and everybody knows it. That’s why current Speaker Pelosi delayed these proceedings in the first place, after all. On the (marginally) bright side, at least Rangel’s been drained personally dry by these proceedings, to the point where he’ll be representing himself because he can’t afford a new legal team. It’s hardly justice, but then, again: it’s still a Democratic-controlled Congress. You work with what you have.
Moe Lane (crossposted)
Moe Lane
PG DeFreese
Victoria Coates
Daniel Horowitz
Dan Spencer
Yet he continues to win re-election
joecollins (Diary) Sunday, November 14th at 10:51AM EST (link)He won re-election with 78% of the vote. 78%, Wrap our brains around that number.
Harlem ...
cam1 Monday, November 15th at 7:43AM EST (link)gets what they deserve!
The problem hear is that Harlem
ihateliberals Monday, November 15th at 9:53AM EST (link)is not the only ones he affects. Every Senator and/or Representative affects everyone regardless if they are from your state and district. Fro example Harry Reid is from NV but every action of his affects whether or not your taxes are increased. So don’t think that a Senator that is not directly related to you state doesn’t affect you because they do! This is the reason we had to send money out of state to other campaigns. All elections of Senators and Representatives are national elections not local. A local election would be like for Mayor etc.
What did you think would happen?
teridavisnewman (Diary) Monday, November 15th at 11:19AM EST (link)Did you really think he wouldn’t be re-elected? He’s the poster child for corruption prosecution and term limits but “Dont Ask–Don’t Tell (which is what the Democrats call the Ethics Committee) isn’t going to do JACK to him–unless of course Nancy Pelosi decides to send a message about corruption to make Maxine Waters–another poster child for corruption and term limits–rethink her decision about a trial and possibly resign. This might demonstrate that she wants to pretend to be serious about “draining the swamp” as she promised to do FOUR YEARS AGO and hasn’t done a thing. We have got to rid of these career politicians or we are finished as a nation.
Teri Davis Newman
2010 Republican Nominee for Congress
2012 Candidate for Congress
12th Congressional District of Illinois
www.terinewman.com
For the Dem Party, this tactic is considered the highest honor
fpete13527 (Diary) Sunday, November 14th at 11:24AM EST (link)For the people who keep electing Charlie, it is a truly sad that they see him as anything but the true disgrace to this country that he is.
I
freemanja1991 (Diary) Sunday, November 14th at 2:35PM EST (link)Concur
But will he and Waters actually be expelled?
Sadly probably not.
And if they were we couldn’t get their seats in special elections.
Setting aside a complacent leftist congress for a sec
powertothepeople (Diary) Sunday, November 14th at 12:19PM EST (link)where is the prosecution of his crimes by either a federal court or a state one? If he broke the law, Pelosi may look the other way, but why has he not been put in cuffs and had a bond set? The president may be immune from arrest, but Congress is not.
Article I, Section 6
GreyCloak (Diary) Sunday, November 14th at 7:32PM EST (link)They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.
The operative word there is
davesinsanantonio (Diary) Monday, November 15th at 5:24AM EST (link)felony. Not much clearer than that, It must be a felony, even in California, to steal money.
What He Broke
edintexas Monday, November 15th at 9:57AM EST (link)It is absolutely certain that he broke “House of Representatives Rules” in this misuse of funds. I’m not certain that he could be convicted of Fraud, since he probably didn’t intend to so use the money when he raised it. If conviction wasn’t fairly certain, no US Attorney’s office would touch it (particularly with the most political DoJ in a long time in control). Those who gave him the money gave it to his personal control. It looks like theft, it smells like theft, but legally I don’t think a case can be made for a felony. I wish it were otherwise.
I don't think you've got that right.
itrytobenice (Diary) Monday, November 15th at 11:06AM EST (link)If he represented it as one thing, and accepted money for that reason, and then used it for something else, it’s fraud. His intentions as to whether or not he intended to use it for its stated purpose doesn’t alleviate that.
As a matter of fact, if you could show that he always intended to use it for something else than its stated purpose, it might even exacerbate the charges.
Proper grammar saves lives.
Let’s eat Grandma.
Let’s eat, Grandma.
Par for the course
student Sunday, November 14th at 12:39PM EST (link)Rangel is no more corrupt than the other Democrats. He just got caught. All the Dems on the committee are looking at him thinking two things. First, “there but for the grace of God go I” and second, “it must be great coming from a district so corrupt that the people vote him in knowing that he is a crook”, Every Democrat is having District Envy/
Democratic party thieves
patty48 Sunday, November 14th at 8:25PM EST (link)Rangel must have the goods on Pelosi and the rest of the Democratic party thieves.Look at the trash that voted for him all these years.Let Rangel spend a couple of years in jail.Rangel is a disgrace.
This is going to be the most ethical congress ever.---Nancy Pelosi
chbroussard (Diary) Sunday, November 14th at 8:35PM EST (link)Is there no limit to the depths of corruption that Dems will sink to? I am truly disgusted by the number of scumbags that make up the Democrat Party. But the people that continue to vote for them over and over again—I can’t think of a word that even comes close to describing them. Well actually I can, but I don’t want to get banned from Redstate.
To Nan and the other Dims, ethical means
davesinsanantonio (Diary) Monday, November 15th at 5:31AM EST (link)lying, name calling, and stealing money and elections. Not to mention bribery, violence and tax evasion. After all, the end they seek justifies the means they use. To them the only unethical thing is to listen to the American people, because the Left just “knows” that it is better, and therefore “entitled” to rule over the ignorant masses. So, they are duty bound to do whatever it takes to get and keep power, and to wield it for the party’s gain. Or their own of course!
Doesn't he have a trial starting Monday?
anotherindyfilmguy (Diary) Monday, November 15th at 1:27AM EST (link)Perhaps the prosecutors should demand the return of that money straight from the defense’s legal team? If they refuse freeze their assets and take it back as stolen property etc… Just a thought.
Santorum? Well, at least he’s not Romney…
http://www.zazzle.com/enemy_of_the_statist_tshirt-235977043035297478
Rangel succeeded the legendary Adam Clayton Powell
Adjoran (Diary) Monday, November 15th at 6:49AM EST (link)The district is substantially the same.
After being expelled from Congress for corruption, Powell was reelected in a landslide. A reporter asked him how this was possible.
Powell replied, “This is Harlem. The only entertainment we could afford was the Saturday matinee movies. And what did the hero of all those westerns look like? Light skin, thin lips, handsome, curly hair, moustache – man, that’s gotta be Adam Clayton Powell!”