Common Cause is troubled to learn that the subcommittee investigating Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) has recommended only a \"reprimand\" for the 13 allegations aired publicly against him Thursday. <\/p>
\"A reprimand would publicly embarrass Congressman Rangel and forever blemish his record,\" said Bob Edgar, Common Cause's president. \"But these allegations, if proven, merit more than embarrassment. They should carry a real penalty - perhaps a fine and\/or the permanent loss of committee chairmanships or assignments. A reprimand is what parents give when kids forget to say 'please' and 'thank you.' It's not what members of Congress should get when they break House rules or violate laws.\" <\/p>
The charges against Rep. Rangel involve his alleged use of his office and his chairmanship of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee to solicit corporate donations to the City College of New York for creation of a Center for Public Service bearing his name. He also is charged with failing to report his campaign's use of a rent-controlled apartment in New York and of failing to pay taxes on rental income from a Caribbean villa.<\/p>
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\"This case illustrates the problems with a political fundraising system in which corporate executives gain access to members of Congress and their staffs by writing big checks - whether it is to a member's campaign committee or his favorite charity,\" Edgar said. \"We need to reform that system by passing the Fair Elections Now Act and financing political campaigns with a mix of small donations from individuals and Fair Elections funds drawn from a special, public treasury.\"<\/p>"}}]},"yoast_head":"\n