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Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) fired back at GOP critics Wednesday even as he acknowledged that he owes roughly $10,000 in unpaid taxes because he failed to report rental income to the IRS and state and local government.
The powerful chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee held a press conference in which he admitted to making mistakes on his tax returns but argued that should not force him to give up his committee gavel or leave office.
Rangel stressed that he will repay the taxes owed, takes the omissions “seriously” and has no good excuse for failing to report nearly 20 years of income on a beach villa he owns in the Dominican Republic.
“I sincerely regret and take personal responsibility for these errors,” he told reporters in a question-and-answer session that ranged from jovial and forthcoming to confrontational and confusing and went on for more than an hour.
He pledged to correct the omissions and amend filings to both the IRS and to his financial disclosure forms in Congress. He stopped short, however, of admitting any lapse in moral judgment.
“I personally feel that I have done nothing morally wrong,” he said.
Rangel has asked the ethics committee to review the tax and rental income omissions as well as the two prior ethics charges against him. Before the August recess, the panel announced that it was reviewing the first two allegations, but Rangel attorney Lanny Davis said committee members and staff have yet to request any documents from him.
House Republicans recently have ratcheted up the political pressure on Rangel. Before the August recess and before the tax omissions on the villa were reported, Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) offered a motion to censure Rangel. It failed, with dozens of Republicans either voting with Democrats against the motion, voting present or failing to show up to the vote.
Earlier this week, Boehner sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) calling on her to relieve Rangel of his Ways and Means chairmanship while the ethics panel investigates the three sets of allegations against him.
The New York Democrat punched back at Boehner on Wednesday, slamming the minority leader for using the ethics allegations to score political points.
“I have felt embarrassed for my friend John Boehner that he felt that politically he had to do that,” Rangel said.
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