Ethics chairwoman disputes reports that she met privately with Rangel

House ethics committee chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) on Tuesday disputed media reports stating she met privately with Rep. Charles Rangel to negotiate a deal with the embattled New York Democrat.

Republicans are privately threatening to derail any deal after several media accounts reported that Lofgren met with Rangel and his attorney Monday night without any GOP members of the ethics committee present. Lofgren denied the reports, although staffers on the committee hired by Lofgren met with Rangel’s attorneys Monday.

On Monday evening, Rangel and his chief of staff were meeting in H-122 of the Capitol, which is the Speaker’s dining room.

Lofgren was seen poking her head into the meeting, then quickly departed. That meeting followed one in which Rangel conferred with Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who serves as the assistant to the Speaker, as well as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

“Contrary to Fox’s reporting, Chair Zoe Lofgren did not privately meet with Rep. Rangel and his attorney on Monday night,” her office said in a written statement. “When the investigative subcommittee transmitted a Statement of Alleged Violation to the Committee, she designated members to serve on an adjudicatory committee and gave notice of the fact to the respondent – both steps that are required by Committee rules…Due to Committee confidentiality rules, we are unable to comment further other than to correct this false statement at this time.”

During votes Monday evening, House Majority Whip Clyburn (D-S.C.) was seen in discussions with Rangel, Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) and Rangel's chief of staff George Henry along the back of the House chamber. After more than 10 minutes, Clyburn made a bee line to Lofgren, who sat in the front row of the chamber. Clyburn spent 5 minutes talking quietly with the ethics committee chairwoman. Clyburn then conferred with Rangel and Henry for a shorter conversation. Clyburn was late spotted ducking into an room off the House floor with Lofgren for a 15-minute private conversation.

 Republicans on the ethics committee huddled during floor votes on Tuesday.

There are no committee rules barring Lofgren from discussing the matter with Rangel directly, according to ethics experts, but any deal would require at least one GOP vote to be ratified.

 A Republican source said, “You can't have one side of the committee cutting a deal with the defendant in the case. Can you imagine if Republicans had negotiated secretly with Tom DeLay or Newt Gingrich?”

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