House Ethics Committee must quickly conclude Rangel investigation

As the House Ethics Committee announced today it was expanding its probe of Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), Common Cause strongly urged the panel to work faster to conclude the investigation and make public its findings.

“The Ethics Committee is doing no service to the members of Congress or the American people by dragging this investigation out as long as it has,” said Common Cause President Bob Edgar. “It’s a black cloud hanging over Congressman Rangel, and the drip-drip-drip of allegations simply makes the public more cynical of a Congress it already distrusts. There is no reason why this should take so long.”

The Ethics Committee announced Thursday it was expanding once again the investigation of Rangel to include recent reports about his failure to disclose at least $600,000 in previously unreported assets. The investigation was launched in July 2008 and originally focused on allegations that Rangel failed to report income taxes on a Caribbean villa; his use of several rent-controlled apartments in Harlem; and whether Rangel improperly used House stationary to solicit donations for a school bearing his name. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had expressed confidence that the probe of Rep. Rangel would be complete before the 111th Congress convened in January.