Rep. Rangel Walks Out On Ethics Hearing

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Run time: 01:06 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYCq16R6hHY   Posted on YouTube: November 15, 2010 By YouTube Member: UpTakeVideo Views on YouTube: 309   Posted on DU: November 15, 2010 By DU Member: Amerigo Vespucci Views on DU: 1055

 

[Roma]

1. Finally a Democrat with a backbone. Don't attend your own

lynching Mr. Rangel.

[FirstLight]

2. I don't get it

was he the one being questioned...or was this about him not thinking the ethics comm. was doing their job?
:shrug:
context plz...?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

4. From Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Denied his plea for a delay, Rep. Charles Rangel walked out of his ethics trial Monday, leaving the ethics committee's top lawyer to cite Rangel's past statements in arguing that the 20-term New York Democrat violated House rules.

Chief House ethics counsel Blake Chisam, assuming the role of prosecutor at the rare public airing of in-House issues, played a video of a Rangel speech on the House floor in August. Rangel, former chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, acknowledged in that presentation that he'd used House stationery to raise money for a college center named after him.

Rangel also said in the August speech that he had been tardy in filing taxes and financial disclosure statements, but that he had no intention of breaking any rules.

Chisam told an ethics panel of four Republicans and four Democrats, "There are no ... issues as to any material facts in this case. As a result the case is ripe for a decision."

Rangel stalked out of the proceeding after imploring the panel for a delay until he could obtain a new lawyer. The panel declined his request after a closed session and the proceeding - rare in the annals of the House - went forward without Rangel's participation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/15/charles-rangel-ethics-trial_n_783451.html

[elleng]

3. Think it was that he wanted more time, to obtain counsel.

Heard quick piece on radio earlier.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. He wants new counsel. He parted ways with his prior one recently

[FBaggins]

9. It isn't that he "wants" new counsel

It's that he wants it for free.

They walked when he couldn't pay them any more. They said that they would be happy to continue defending him, but the rules don't allow him to receive pro-bono work.

In the end, I think that's all sideshow. Rangel didn't have a defense and wanted to be out of the room so that he could spin whatever the end result is. "I was ready and anxious to prove my innocence, but they wouldn't even let me present a defense!"

[earcandle]

5. Don't Americans have a right to counsel in a trial?

[elleng]

8. Yes, but this is not a 'trial.'

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Trying to string out the lame duck session, methinks.