House Censures Rangel
In the first time in 27 years that the House of Representatives has decided to rebuke a fellow member in this manner, it voted today to censure Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.).
A censure is the stiffest penalty it can impose in an ethics case, short of expulsion, reports the Chicago Tribune.
Last month, Rangel was found guilty of ethics violations concerning his fundraising, failure to pay taxes and unreported income on financial disclosure forms required of members of Congress.
The humiliating penalty, which was promptly imposed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.),rquired the 80-year-old lawmaker to stand in the well of the chamber as she read a resolution rebuking him in front of the entire assemblage of represenatives, recounts the Washington Post.
In agreeing to censure Rangel, the House accepted an ethics committee recommendation. However, Rangel argued for what he called fairness and some, including Peter King (R-N.Y.), said the House was treating him more harshly than others, the Tribune reports.
“Let us apply the same standard of justice to Charlie Rangel that has been applied to everyone else and that we would want applied to us,” said King.
The vote was 333 to 79.
Additional coverage:
New York Times: “For Rangel, a Humbling Censure in Ethics Case”
