Rangel: I'm Not Guilty, Just Been 'Admonished'

Though House ethics committee sources say Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel knowingly accepted Caribbean trips in violation of House rules that forbid hidden financing by corporations, the New York congressman tells Politico tonight he’s merely being “admonished” by the committee. I’m satisfied that when you read the report, that you will see that I have not been found guilty of anything.”

“We were approved, the trip was approved. Whether or not it should have been approved is a serious issue,” he said of the 2007 and 2008 travel by members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Rangel added that “the critical part in the report is they’re saying the ethics committee should not have authorized it if they had known all the facts—that some private funds were involved in the payment of the conference.” (More Charles Rangel stories.)