Rep. Charlie Rangel Refuses To Participate In His Own Ethics Hearing

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) has just threatened to leave a hearing that is investigating charges that he violated House ethics rules, after first alleging that the House Ethics committee had denied his right to a lawyer. Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), responded by stating “it troubles me” that Rep. Rangel had no counsel, before moving to discuss whether to postpone the hearing in executive session.

Writing for Talking Points Memo, Rachel Slajda reports:

Rangel parted ways from his lawyers last month. He told the committee today that they quit, not sure he could pay the already $2 million legal bills he had racked up over the committee’s two-year investigation. He also claimed the committee told him only two weeks ago that he could set up a legal defense fund to pay his lawyers, and that he didn’t have enough time to create such a fund and hire counsel.

“I’ve been a lawyer long enough to know it’s very, very unwise to represent yourself,” he told the committee.

He then announced that he would leave the hearing. Without counsel, that would mean he would put up no defense.

The committee is now meeting privately.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!