Rangel Will Face Formal Ethics Investigation

Embattled Rep. Charles Rangel (D) will be the subject of an official inquiry into his finances after the House Ethics Committee voted to investigate the New York lawmaker.

The veteran congressman has been the subject of scrutiny by the media in recent months, after media revealed Rangel had failed to pay taxes on a property in the Dominican Republic and improperly using a rent-controlled Harlem apartment as an office.

Reps. Gene Green (D-Texas) and Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) will serve as chairmen of the investigations. Reps. Robert Scott (D-Va.) and Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) will round out the special investigative subcommittee.

Rangel’s woes have been the subject of Republican attacks, with the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) blanketing competitive districts asking Democratic candidates to return donations from Rangel.

–Michael O’Brien