Rangel Case Poses Test for Democrats as Elections Near
Mr. Charles B. Rangel, 80, a Harlem Democrat, has a huge pile of accusations to climb over. Most likely he won’t be able to do it. There are 13 charges laid out that he has to answer to.
In laying out 13 charges of ethical violations committed by Representative Charles B. Rangel, the House ethics committee set the stage for a rare public trial of the Democratic Congressman this fall, a potential embarrassment for the Democratic leadership during the election season.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California declined to speak out in support of Mr. Rangel, but said the committee’s handling of his case was proof that Democrats had delivered on her promise to “drain the swamp” of Washington’s dodgy political culture.
“Drain the swamp we did, as this was a terrible place,” Ms. Pelosi said. “We made a tremendous difference, and I take great pride in that.”
