WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives censured veteran Democrat Charles Rangel for ethics violations yesterday, forcing the former chief tax writer to face a humiliating public rebuke before his colleagues.
Under terms of the censure, Rangel was required to stand in the front of the House chamber as Speaker Nancy Pelosi outlined his misconduct. Rangel stood calmly facing Pelosi, arms folded, as she read a brief statement.
The New York congressman apologized but told the House he did not deserve censure. He said later that politics drove the House’s decision more than facts.
“The vote for censure was a very, very, very political vote,” he told reporters afterward. “There’s no evidence that I did anything to enrich myself or that I did anything corrupt.”
The censure, the most severe form of House punishment available short of expulsion, was approved on an overwhelming 333-79 vote. It was the 23rd House censure and the first in 27 years.
