crimes and misdemeanors

Charlie Rangel’s Very Bad Day Only Got Worse

So, yeah, walking out of your congressional ethics trial because you say you can’t pay your lawyers might be a decent PR gambit, but it’s not a legal strategy. After Rangel left this morning, the trial went on without him, as the chief counsel for the congressional ethics committee presented evidence based on “549 exhibits, dozens of witness interviews and thousands of pages of financial documents.” The congressmen met and determined that the facts of the trial are not in dispute. They will meet Tuesday morning to decide whether Rangel is guilty, and whether or not they will reprimand, censure, or expel him.

Rangel Inquiry Finds Evidence Beyond Dispute [NYT]

Charlie Rangel’s Very Bad Day Only Got Worse