CORRECTION APPENDED
Congressman Charles Rangel is under investigation for several ethics violations—including accepting a corporate-sponsored Caribbean vacation—and now the New York County Democratic Committee announced on Sunday that its endorsement for his 2010 bid for re-election is going to have to wait.
Amid ongoing allegations, Rangel, who represents northern Manhattan, said on Wednesday that he was temporarily stepping down from his powerful post as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
His departure from the committee came nearly two years after the House Ethics Committee first began its investigation.
The endorsement is still expected, but some experts say that even if he receives the vote of confidence on Sunday from the Democratic Committee, which is typical for incumbents, it will not ensure that this longtime Harlem politician will stand for re-election, or even finish out the remainder of his 20th term.
Rangel faces accusations that include failing to pay federal income taxes on vacation property, falsely disclosing his personal assets, and accepting a deal from a Manhattan developer on four rent-controlled apartments in Harlem.
As Republican calls for his removal grew louder in recent weeks, Rangel said that his leave of absence as chairman could remove a potential liability for fellow Democrats, as his party enters a difficult midterm election year.
“It takes scandal off the table,” Columbia political science professor David Eisenbach said.
No local elected official has come forward yet to challenge Rangel in the congressional race. Rangel is a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and Eisenbach predicted that Rangel would win re-election if he decided to remain in Congress. “The New York State Democratic Party is a very tight club,” Eisenbach said. “State senators and assemblymen are intimidated by taking on someone who has the loyalty of huge numbers of Democrats. He will win unless something more egregious comes out.” He added, “An indictment or another serious allegation could change things, though.”
One local officeholder, State Assembly member Daniel O’Donnell, a Democrat whose West Harlem and Morningside Heights district encompasses the Columbia campus, has been mentioned as a possible successor to Rangel.
O’Donnell has already declared he will not challenge Rangel if he were to run for re-election.
“There is a lot of uncertainty about what is going to happen,” he said in an interview on Sunday. “I take him at his word that he will, in fact, run for re-election. It is my hope that he stays on the ballot.”
Kathleen Knight, Barnard professor of political science, said that despite the growing allegations, it will be a loss to the neighborhood if Rangel’s political career ends here. “From the standpoint of what he brings back to the community, he will be sorely missed.”
Other area Democrats, such as State Senator Bill Perkins and State Assembly member Keith Wright, might be more inclined to run against Rangel. But only a former Rangel staffer, Vince Morgan, has come forward and openly declared a challenge to the 40-year incumbent.
Morgan, SIPA ’06, noted that Rangel’s resignation is just the latest incident in a recent spate of scandals troubling New York Democrats. “People are overwhelmed by bad news, and they just want to talk about issues,” he said.
For some local residents, the current scandals are familiar.
“It is all too common for New York politicians to abuse the system,” Joel Kniaz, who lives at Claremont Avenue and 116th Street, said.
Others expressed similar frustrations with what they deem to be Rangel’s abuse of the system. “All elected officials seem to feel that they are entitled to these amenities,” Michael Haviken, who lives on Riverside Drive, said. “Term limits is the solution. Rangel was a good congressman.” But, Haviken said, “He’s not going to run for re-election. I think it’s over. He was a bootstrap kind of guy who really achieved a lot.
He added, “To lose his reputation over trivial things is unfortunate—tragic.”
Morgan said that he expects several candidates with different levels of experience to join the fray. “I believe after 40 years with one representative, people need to decide what qualifications and values they need in the next representative,” he said. “The more choices, the better. Bring ’em on. Then we can whittle it down to see who is truly the best representative for the district.”
Representatives from Rangel’s office could not be reached for comment.
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that Rangel was endorsed on Sunday by the New York County Democratic Committee. Though Rangel had said he anticipated a Sunday endorsement, the official announcement was not made—it has instead been delayed. Spectator regrets the error.
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