Congressional Fool: Charlie Rangel

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D / N.Y.) is the chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee.

Like most politicians and like all Dummycrats, he doesn't mind spending money - as long as it's ours and not his.

From Leo:

Morality and Charlie Rangel's Taxes

Ever notice that those who endorse high taxes and those who actually pay them aren't the same people?

Consider the curious case of House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel, who is leading the charge for a new 5.4- percentage point income tax surcharge and recently called it "the moral thing to do."

About his own tax liability he seems, well, less fervent.
Mr. Rangel soon admitted having failed to report rental income of $75,000 over the years.

First he blamed his wife for the oversight because he said she was supposed to be managing the property.

Then he blamed the language barrier.

"Every time I thought I was getting somewhere, they'd start speaking Spanish," Mr. Rangel explained.

Mr. Rangel promised last fall to amend his tax returns, pay what is due and correct the information on his annual financial disclosure form. But the deadline for the 2008 filing was May 15 and as of last week he still had not filed. His press spokesman declined to answer questions about anything related to his ethics problems.

Besides not paying those pesky taxes, Mr. Rangel had other reasons for wanting to hide income. As the tenant of four rent-stabilized apartments in Harlem, the Congressman needed to keep his annual reported income below $175,000, lest he be ineligible as a hardship case for rent control. (He also used one of the apartments as an office in violation of rent-control rules, but that's another story.)

Mr. Rangel said last fall that "I never had any idea that I got any income'' from the villa.

Try using that one the next time the IRS calls.

Read more about Charlie here. And here.
(Be sure to check out the links!)