By Zenitha Prince
Washington Bureau Chief
Charlie Rangel's troubles began more than a year ago when The New York Times reported his ownership of several rent-controlled apartments in Harlem. (Courtesy Photo)
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(October 28, 2009) - Given the challenges that have recently beset him—an expanded ethics investigation, Republican calls to strip him of his authority and an upstart challenge for his seat in the 2010 elections—Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel is exhibiting an eerie level of cool.
Maybe it’s that New York swagger. Or the almost 40 years of experience on Capitol Hill -- the having seen it all and done it all — that keeps him even-keeled even as his long-time career threatens to implode around him. More likely, political analysts say it’s the inkling that the veteran lawmaker will survive this deluge largely unscathed.
“I don’t think there’s going to be much fallout,” predicted Ronald Walters, political analyst and professor emeritus of political science at the University of Maryland.
The lawmaker’s troubles began more than a year ago when The New York Times reported his ownership of several rent-controlled apartments in Harlem. The ethics investigation—prompted by Rangel himself—took wings when he admitted to owing more than $10,000 in back taxes on unreported income—more than $70,000—from his vacation villa in the Dominican Republic. And the panel also had questions about whether he improperly used his position as chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means to raise money for a charity, the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at the City College of New York.
Then in early October, the ethics committee announced plans to widen the probe into the Washington titan’s finances for the third time after Rangel filed amendments in August to his financial disclosure filings, which indicate hundreds of thousands of dollars in unreported income, including an account worth $500,000.
Rangel himself has not said much about the investigation, instead directing his attention to his work on health care reform among other congressional business. But his lawyers have publicly attributed his financial discrepancies to inept accounting. And, on Oct. 8, his office quickly released a statement reducing the newest ethics panel action to mere routine.
“As a practical matter, today’s announcement is nothing new,” the statement said. “It is clear that the committee is being very thorough and deliberative in their process, hence today’s announcement.”
But despite the committee’s attempt to demonstrate its conduct of a serious, thorough investigation—even listing the number of witnesses the committee had interviewed (34) and the number of subpoenas it had issued (150) in the case—Walters predicted that support from the speaker of the House and the Congressional Black Caucus could influence the outcome.
“Nancy Pelosi has made it clear that she was not going to downgrade him, which effectively shows her support for him,” he said. “If that signal goes to the Democrats on the Ethics Committee and they come out of committee with a decision that [adheres to] the party line, nothing’s going to happen to him.”
And, even if they do come back with a negative report criticizing his conduct—given that he has paid back taxes and corrected his disclosure forms--the worse they would likely do is advise that he be stripped off his chairmanship.
It certainly will not be enough to oust him from his seat in New York’s 15th Congressional District should he choose to run again, state party members and political observers predict.
“If he chooses to run there’s not going to be a challenge,” said Jay Jacobs, chairman of New York State Democratic Party, to the AFRO.
About the ethics probe, Jacobs said though there are clearly some issues, people should not rush to judgment, and pledged his support. He said, “We have a lot of confidence in Charlie Rangel…We support him.”
And that’s a sentiment shared by many throughout the state, Jacobs added, as evidenced by past elections. Rangel has had few challengers in the last four decades and those who went against him lost badly. For example, in 2008, Rangel garnered 89.2 percent of the ballots.
“Charlie Rangel has a deep reservoir of goodwill in New York—at least among the Democrats,” the Democratic leader said. “He’s extremely popular in this district and throughout the state.”
It’s what makes his challenge for the congressional seat such a “David and Goliath story,” said Vincent Morgan, who, earlier this month, announced his plans to run against Rangel in the Democratic primary.
“I am the David and he’s the Goliath,” Morgan told the AFRO. “It is an uphill battle when you’re going against somebody with such a track record.”
And it’s a track record that did not prepare him for the allegations facing the longtime congressman, said Morgan, who once worked as Rangel’s aide.
“I was surprised, very surprised,” the 40-year-old community banker said, though he said Rangel ought to “take responsibility” if he’s found guilty of misconduct.
Still, he doesn’t plan to run his campaign based on Rangel’s troubles, Morgan added.
“I started off this decade working for the man that I am running against…and frankly, I would not have been called to public service if I hadn’t had the experience working for him. So I’m very respectful of him,” he said.
However, Morgan said, the 79-year-old Rangel has reached a point in his career where he needs to think about moving on and making way for some young blood, especially since he seems to be losing touch with the needs of his entire constituency, which is comprised of ever-changing, constantly developing neighborhoods of varying socio-economic levels.
“After 40 years in office it’s not as much him being out of touch with the population but more the population being out of touch with him,” Morgan said of his contender. “The district has changed too dramatically in the past 40 years that we just need to move in a different direction…. You need new leadership that can speak to the future and not just do things the way they’ve always been done.”
Morgan said he knows well the fate of those who have challenged the venerable New York legislator in the past but believes he can change the tide.
“I do think that people have been waiting for an alternative. And over this 40 years—although he’s had a few challenges in the past—I think that no one has challenged him that really had the résumé, the personality, the level of compassion and sort of ‘smarts’ that could all come together and create a challenge that could be successful in a race against him.”