Former Congressman Charlie Rangel passed away early Monday morning. Former Congressman Charlie Rangel passed away early Monday morning. While media reports generally portrayed him as an effective representative for his district, they often overlooked a significant aspect of his legacy: Rangel was also known for his corruption.
In their announcement of Rangel’s death, CBS reported, “Charles Rangel, the longtime U.S. congressman from New York City and the last surviving member of the ‘Gang of Four,’ has died at the age of 94.” Born in Harlem on June 11, 1930, Rangel served as a Democratic member of the House of Representatives for 46 years after unseating the legendary Adam Clayton Powell Jr. He was a Korean War veteran, served as the dean of the New York Congressional Delegation, and was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
In a statement from the Rangel family, they honored him as “a towering figure in American politics and a champion for justice, equity, and opportunity.” They noted his dedication of over four decades to public service, emphasizing his tireless advocacy for affordable housing, urban revitalization, fair tax policies, and equal opportunities for all Americans.
However, it’s essential to acknowledge the aspects of Rangel’s career that are often overlooked. While he was indeed an effective congressman for his district, he was also involved in significant corruption. The reality is that some of America’s elected officials use their positions to enrich themselves, and Charlie Rangel was one of them. The media reports were essentially the same; Charlie Rangel was considered an effective Congressman for his district. What they left out was Charles Rangel, who was very corrupt. Announcing Rangel’s death, CBS wrote:
Charles Rangel, the longtime U.S. congressman from New York City and the last surviving member of the “Gang of Four,” has died. He was 94. Born in Harlem on June 11, 1930, Rangel was a Democratic member of the House of Representatives for 46 years after unseating the legendary Adam Clayton Powell Jr. He was a Korean War veteran, the dean of the New York Congressional Delegation, and a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
“A towering figure in American politics and a champion for justice, equity, and opportunity, Congressman Rangel dedicated over four decades of his life to public service,” the Rangel family said in a statement announcing his death Monday. “Throughout his career, Congressman Rangel fought tirelessly for affordable housing, urban revitalization, fair tax policies, and equal opportunities for all Americans.”
Here’s the part CBS and most of the mainstream media missed:
The worst of America’s elected officials are those who use their office to enrich themselves. That was Charlie Rangel. The media reports on Charlie Rangel portray him as an effective congressman for his district, and he was. But they overlook the fact that he was also very corrupt.
The worst of America’s elected officials are those who use their office to enrich themselves. That was Charlie Rangel.
Charles Rangel’s most notorious act of illegality during his congressional tenure involved rental income from a property he purchased in 1987 at the Punta Cana Yacht Club in the Dominican Republic. In August 2009, the National Legal and Policy Center reviewed Rangel’s House financial disclosure forms. It raised concerns about the suspiciously low income he reported. In 2004 and 2005, he reported no more than $5,000 in income. In 2006 and 2007, he reported no income from the property at all.
Eventually, Rangel admitted that he failed to report rental income totaling $75,000 over the years. Initially, he blamed his wife, claiming she was responsible for managing the property. He also cited a language barrier, saying, “Every time I thought I was getting somewhere, they’d start speaking Spanish.”
Ironically, at the time this revelation surfaced, Rangel was the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the body responsible for writing tax laws. His failure to report income ultimately cost him his chairmanship.
This incident was just one of many ethics violations in Rangel’s record.
- He was found to have taken a tax break intended only for individuals whose primary residence was in Washington, D.C. If Rangel’s primary residence was in D.C., he could not represent New York City in Congress simultaneously.
- Ha was occupying four rent-controlled apartments in New York. According to New York City laws, one does not qualify for rent control unless the apartment is their primary residence, which meant Rangel was essentially double-dipping. He also misused one of the apartments as his office.
- Rangel’s ethics were further called into question due to a $1.95 million federal earmark that funded the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service. While this was legal, it still raised eyebrows.
- He misused his congressional office to fundraise for the Rangel Center by preserving a tax loophole for an oil drilling company in exchange for a donation to his center.
- Moreover, Rangel faced an investigation related to a Caribbean venture. Once the ethics probe began, he made campaign donations to 119 members of Congress, including three of the five Democrats on the House Ethics Committee, which was responsible for investigating him. It is doubtful that these donations were merely a gesture of friendliness, much like the unlikely claim that Elvis is alive and working at a 7-Eleven in Iowa.
- Lastly, there were issues with his financial disclosure forms, which contained numerous mistakes. Either he had a feeble memory regarding half of his income, or there were more discrepancies to be uncovered.
In an interview with the NY Daily News,Rangel spoke about the divisiveness facing America, saying he has friends on both sides of the political aisle and has never seen the level of partisanship.
Some members use Congress to help their constituents, while others use it to advance their political ideology. But not Charlie Rangel. He used his office to divide the country and enrich himself. Charlie Rangel is the worst of America. Of his congressional career, people will always be able to say that Charlie Rangel always made the “gravy train” run on time.
To Rangel’s family, I am sorry for your loss and pray that you find comfort in this difficult time.
To the mainstream media, shame on you for ignoring the full story.
