Rangel Admits Unreported Ways and Means
EmailRep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., the powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, now admits some ways and means he hadn’t told the IRS about.
The New York Times reports that Rangel never reported to the state or federal government the more than $75,000 in income he gleaned from renting out a $500-a-night beachfront villa he has owned since 1988 at the Punta Cana Yacht Club in the Dominican Republic.
Rangel issued a statement saying: "I have asked my accountant to review all the data recently made available to me by the Punta Cana Hotel in the Dominican Republic concerning my investment 20 or so years ago in purchasing a unit in that hotel for occasional use over the years. Once my accountant obtains and verifies the facts, I will follow his recommendations."
Rangel’s attorney, Lanny Davis, says Rangel will likely file amendments to his tax returns.
"Davis said the congressman did not realize he had to declare the money as income, and was unaware of the semiannual payments from the resort because his wife, Alma, handled the family finances and conferred with their accountant, John Viardi, on tax matters," the Times reports.
- jpt
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As a Democrat, this does not make me happy.
Very, very bad timing to say the least.
A second real estate investment ‘mistake’ begins to stretch credibility.
Ironic, Republicans get caught in sex scandals and Dems getting caught in financial scandals. You’d think it would
be the other way around.
Posted by: Leonard Peltier | September 5, 2008, 7:54 am 7:54 am
As another Democrat and as a lawyer, I say, “C’mon Charlie, as Chair of Ways and means, I’m sure you know that taxable income is money “from any source derived.” And the “Innocent Spouse” rule won’t help you either. Let’s not give the Republicans unnecessary fuel. They are already off the charts with their exaggerations and obfuscations.
Posted by: C Duffy | September 5, 2008, 8:10 am 8:10 am
WHAT ELSE IS NEW? ANOTHER CORRUPT DEMOCRAT.
Posted by: Foodforthought | September 5, 2008, 8:25 am 8:25 am
It was above his pay grade to know that income was taxable. What else has he overlooked?
Posted by: Paul | September 5, 2008, 8:34 am 8:34 am
FoodFight,
Yeah, we learned from experts.
Scratch that comment,
It would be a reflexive, circle-the-wagons
kind of response and we’re in a new era now.
Posted by: Leonard Peltier | September 5, 2008, 8:43 am 8:43 am
Leave my congressman alone please! He had done nothing wrong and it is doable misunderstanding.
God bless you Chairman Charlie
Posted by: Joey | September 5, 2008, 8:48 am 8:48 am
Leonard,
It is the other way around, for the Dems, anyway…
Does the name John Edwards ring a bell?
Posted by: Lee | September 5, 2008, 8:49 am 8:49 am
Actually Mr. Lee,
I think there is enough sex and money corruption to go around.
Don’t forget that fellow in Florida and my own fabulous Senator from Idaho.
But until we change to a parliamentary form of government, it’s our turn to drive.
Posted by: Leonard Peltier | September 5, 2008, 8:58 am 8:58 am
Funny how he is being investigated for a little of everything…guess it doesn’t pay to be a Hillary supporter, especially when the big guys go for the other guy…just sayin….
Posted by: samhiguchi | September 5, 2008, 9:10 am 9:10 am
That’s right, blame the woman!
Posted by: hellskitchen | September 5, 2008, 9:13 am 9:13 am
Lame excuse. Put him in jail for theft.
Posted by: Sarah | September 5, 2008, 9:14 am 9:14 am
Is the rumor true that Biden is being replaced? He has been completely out of the picture for the past several days. If they do it I say the sooner the better. Let’s get this behind us.
Posted by: PatrickR | September 5, 2008, 9:15 am 9:15 am
Kinda like saying you don’t know how many homes you have because your wife handles all of that. See, McCain is already reaching across the aisle by sharing a few pages of his playbook with Rangel.
Posted by: Woody | September 5, 2008, 9:21 am 9:21 am
We have dems stuffing money in freezers, and republicans toe tapping in bathroom stalls for tricks. If you want integrity, look no further than Ron Paul.
Posted by: Ben Straub | September 5, 2008, 9:27 am 9:27 am
Mr. Affirmative Action,
Yes non-white corruption is so much more reprehensible than good clean ‘ol boy network corruption. I if guess you can pretend that you are the later there is something to strive for.
Posted by: Leonard Peltier | September 5, 2008, 9:31 am 9:31 am
Lee: “Does the name John Edwards ring a bell?”
Ex-senator, early-out candidate (did he outlast Kucinich this time ’round?), currently holds no position in the Democratic party, never implicated in anything illegal. What about him, and why do I care?
Posted by: jhw539 | September 5, 2008, 9:35 am 9:35 am
It’s not about the money. It’s about sending a message.
I guess the Obama people are sending a message to Clinton loyalists.
Posted by: geevill | September 5, 2008, 9:37 am 9:37 am
jhw,
True. If we were to start naming every sex scandal from a personality attached to one ideological polarity or the other they would need to get more servers.
Posted by: Leonard Peltier | September 5, 2008, 9:39 am 9:39 am
geevil,
That makes a great story. Should should write that script and make some friends in Hollywood.
Posted by: Leonard Peltier | September 5, 2008, 9:40 am 9:40 am
>>>>>”Davis said the congressman did not realize he had to declare the money as income, and was unaware of the semiannual payments from the resort because his wife, Alma, handled the family finances and conferred with their accountant, John Viardi, on tax matters,” the Times reports.
When in trouble, hide behind the wife.
ugh
Posted by: Joseyj | September 5, 2008, 9:42 am 9:42 am
Another Detroit’s Bafoomey Kilpatrick.
This is bad for Charlie Rangel because he is very much trusted and respected in NY, and in the Senate. People voting for Obama better save up some money to get him out of jail.
Posted by: Mrs.Phoenix | September 5, 2008, 9:43 am 9:43 am
Leonard…you are right! It used to be the other way around! What the heck happened?
Posted by: Ed | September 5, 2008, 9:45 am 9:45 am
Rangel is a crook. He is a politician who should know better, but used his position to hide his crimes.
As an example to all, he should be given the maximum sentence for his crimes.
(Question: You notice how lots and lots of people associated directly or indirectly with Obama are getting into trouble? Detroit Mayor, Rangel, Rev. Wright, Rezko, others—-is Obama a jinx?)
Posted by: Sally J. | September 5, 2008, 9:48 am 9:48 am
No it is not a jinx. That’s the only kind of people willing to associate with Obama and vice versa.
Posted by: geevill | September 5, 2008, 10:00 am 10:00 am
“Davis said the congressman did not realize he had to declare the money as income,
Is he not the chair of the comittee that writes tax law?
Posted by: smith | September 5, 2008, 10:01 am 10:01 am
suprised that ABC would air this story, being so busy digging up dirt on McCain and Palin. Another Democrat who’s a crook. All obama supporters.
Posted by: Russ | September 5, 2008, 10:16 am 10:16 am
Documents released Tuesday by the University of Illinois at Chicago shed some light on Barack Obama’s relationship with William Ayers, a founding member of the 1960s and 1970s radical group the Weather Underground.
Obama’s association with Ayers, who now teaches at the university, has become an issue in the Illinois senator’s presidential campaign. The Weather Underground took credit for several nonfatal bombings on targets that included the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol, and critics accuse Obama of rubbing elbows with an unabashed 1960s radical.
Obama has said that, although he knew Ayers as a professor involved in community outreach efforts in Chicago, he doesn’t share Ayers’ extreme views.
The massive collection of newly released documents — 140 boxes full of them — includes agendas that clearly put Obama and Ayers in the same room for meetings of Chicago Annenberg Challenge, an educational initiative that Ayers was instrumental in starting and that Obama chaired in the 1990s.
Posted by: Samantha | September 5, 2008, 10:59 am 10:59 am
I see Rangel and McCain have something in common. Their wives handle the family finances.
Posted by: kat | September 5, 2008, 12:51 pm 12:51 pm
He should’ve kept the money in William Jefferson’s freezer!
Posted by: John | September 5, 2008, 4:06 pm 4:06 pm
I think PALIN needs to look at Charlies books
Posted by: Rick | September 5, 2008, 4:07 pm 4:07 pm
This is what Ted Stevens got in trouble for. Come on media, get out of Alaska and start covering real news.
Posted by: Jerry | September 5, 2008, 4:12 pm 4:12 pm
“Davis said the congressman did not realize he had to declare the money as income.
Then what the hell is doing chairman of the Ways and Means comity
Posted by: Rick | September 5, 2008, 4:13 pm 4:13 pm
Culture of Corruption-oh wait….I’m sorry. Democrats only cared about that two years ago. Now that they’re in power, they just stash the cash in the fridge.
Posted by: Scott Malensek | September 5, 2008, 4:13 pm 4:13 pm
But Charlie wants to raise your taxes
Posted by: Rick | September 5, 2008, 4:16 pm 4:16 pm
WOW Mc. and Palin heading the Justice Dept.
No wonder the Dem’s are so worried.
Wanna bet we get a whole bunch of Admendments to Democrats polititions tax returns in the next few weeks. LOL
Posted by: Rick | September 5, 2008, 4:19 pm 4:19 pm
What will the Clintons do about their offshore accounts?
Posted by: Rick | September 5, 2008, 4:20 pm 4:20 pm
How many houses does Rangel own?
Posted by: SkinsFan | September 5, 2008, 4:22 pm 4:22 pm
“I did not realize I had to declare the money as income”
How many times a day does the IRS hear that one?????
Posted by: whatever | September 5, 2008, 4:25 pm 4:25 pm
More corruption from the Muppet Charles Rangle…
Race-baiting the draft with lies; tax-payer subsidized luxury cars; sweetheart rental deals on 4 luxury condos; using Congress to stage distracting investigations into himself; and now, tax fraud.
Posted by: ynot4tony2 | September 5, 2008, 4:29 pm 4:29 pm
Well it is out of country out of mind don’t ya know?
Posted by: NTxOkie | September 5, 2008, 4:30 pm 4:30 pm
Its nice to be a Democrat.
Posted by: robert verdi | September 5, 2008, 4:33 pm 4:33 pm
So how is this different from McCain not knowing how many houses / properties he owns – as most of them are due to his wife’s finances? But how much has been made about that? AND – none of that is breaking / bending the law….
We’ll see how much traction this gets beyond this 15 minutes…. I’m guessing, None.
Posted by: John | September 5, 2008, 4:43 pm 4:43 pm
“Davis said the congressman did not realize he had to declare the money as income, and was unaware of the semiannual payments from the resort because his wife, Alma, handled the family finances and conferred with their accountant, John Viardi, on tax matters,” the Times reports.
Uh… yeah! I believe that! After all, which of us hasn’t received the odd stream of income totalling $75K or so, and just naturally assumed that it would be of no particular interest to the IRS. Indeed, why bother them about it at all? Such busy people, and so much to do…
Posted by: David | September 5, 2008, 4:45 pm 4:45 pm
Rangel is a crook just like the rest of the Dems.
Posted by: Cory | September 5, 2008, 4:50 pm 4:50 pm
File under: “If this had been a Republican, it would be front-page news in every newspaper.”
Posted by: DFP | September 5, 2008, 4:57 pm 4:57 pm
Can we quite snipping at each other for a moment and laugh at that headline. Tapper that was pretty good, nice to have a little laugh after these last two weeks. OK back to trashing each other.
Posted by: knat | September 5, 2008, 5:00 pm 5:00 pm
It’s O.K. Leonard, this is business as usual for all Left politicians at all levels. Heck, Kwame Kilpatrick, Jefferson “I iced my cash”, Clinton, Pelosi..”watchu mean I gotta get bids”, the list is simply endless, but, because they are lefty you hardly hear a peep and no one except Kwame has paid any dues. We are used to this and look for a lot more of the same with Obamaisah and his group!
Posted by: safegrams | September 5, 2008, 5:10 pm 5:10 pm
Its in a freezer
Posted by: J | September 5, 2008, 5:17 pm 5:17 pm
Posted by: John | Sep 5, 2008 4:43:03 PM
So how is this different from McCain not knowing how many houses / properties he owns
Do you have proof that they are in his name?
Posted by: Rick | September 5, 2008, 5:31 pm 5:31 pm
I don’t understand how they can think they are the smartest people in the world, then when they get caught with their hand in the cookie jar they say;
Oh, I didn’t know about that!
Posted by: J Hunt | September 5, 2008, 6:00 pm 6:00 pm
Not only is he corrupt he is a coward.
What kind of man refuses to take responsibility for breaking the law, when caught, and then blames his wife for his scandalous behavior?
We actually permit this man to GOVERN and make decisions for us, including our finances he doesn’t have a clue about his own finances?
He ought to be removed from office, immediately.
Posted by: Sam Stein | September 5, 2008, 6:42 pm 6:42 pm
Does anyone know how many houses Charlie has? Seems the Dems have lotsa moula and are trying really hard not to pay their fair share of taxes – they think only the rich Repubs should pay taxes. And just like his boss, the One, he shoved his poor wife under the bus! lol,lol,lol!
Posted by: Beckie | September 5, 2008, 7:19 pm 7:19 pm
Mr. Hunt,
Just what ‘they’ are you referring to
if I might ask?
Posted by: Leonard Peltier | September 5, 2008, 7:30 pm 7:30 pm
Some of the commenters above compared this scandal with McCain’s inability to answer a question regarding the number of residences owned by his household.
The difference is that there have been no allegations that the McCains failed to report a stream of income to the IRS.
I am a former federal tax prosecutor who currently works for a state department of taxation. If the IRS chooses to investigate this matter, Mr. Rangel and his wife could be in trouble. Rangel is going to try and say that this was a mistake, but the IRS should be suspicious…mistakes like this almost always seem to work in the taxpayer’s favor. More likely, they will see it as a willful attempt to evade taxation which is a felony under Title 26 US Code Section 7201 punishable by a fine of up to $500,000 and imprisonment up to 5 years.
Posted by: Hugh | September 6, 2008, 8:56 am 8:56 am
He would always use the ol George Castanza line…”was that wrong?”
Posted by: David Shank | September 12, 2008, 1:16 am 1:16 am