~Chairman calls for Rangel to step down as Chairman of House Ways and Means Committee and for all recipients of Rangel’s donations to return tainted funds ~
Albany, NY -- “Congressman Rangel’s latest in a long list of offenses cited by the House Ethics Committee should be the final straw. The time has come for Rangel to step down from his influential post as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. The Committee’s ruling that Congressman Rangel broke House rules by accepting corporate-sponsored trips to the Caribbean makes it incumbent upon Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leadership to insist Rangel relinquish his post and repay the cost of his trips. For a congressman with his track record of unethical and borderline illegal behavior to have enormous influence over the Federal budget process is appalling, particularly during these tough economic times.
Charlie Rangel epitomizes the culture of corruption that has unfortunately gripped both Albany and Washington ever since the Democrats assumed absolute control of our government.
Any Democrat who was the beneficiary of Rangel’s tainted donations must unequivocally reject his unethical behavior and immediately return the funds, including New York Democratic Reps. Dan Maffei, Carolyn Maloney, Eric Massa, Michael McMahon, and Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
New Yorkers and Americans deserve confidence that their government is guided by principled leaders - not officials looking to stretch the law for personal gain.”
