John Bresnahan of Politico reports today:
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), who faces an ethics trial next month, has parted ways with his lead defense attorneys in the case, according to several sources familiar with the matter.
It is unclear what, if any, impact this will have on the Rangel trial, which is scheduled to begin Nov. 15. It is also not clear whether Rangel decided to get rid of his attorneys or if they left of their own volition.
Whatever the case, Rangel’s lawyers were not underpaid. During his August 10 House floor speech, when he wasn’t criticizing NLPC, Rangel complained that he “paid close to two million dollars” to his legal team.
This is not the first time Rangel has parted company with lawyers assisting him on his ethics case. Two years ago, after NLPC exposed Rangel’s failure to disclose, or pay taxes on, income from his Dominican Republic beach house, Rangel hired Democratic fix-it man Lanny Davis. Davis collected six-figure fees but the arrangement didn’t last long.
Davis probably advised Rangel to get out all the facts and get them out fast, advice Rangel no doubt did not like. The most-recent crop of lawyers may have been more amenable to Rangel’s strategy of stonewall, as it allowed them to slowly but surely drain Rangel’s campaign fund.
Rangel has only been able to fight on because he is paying his lawyers with campaign funds gathered while he is still Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. Since his resignation on March 3, the special interest spigot has been shut off. Now maybe Charlie is running out of money and he will just represent himself. This should be fun to watch.
Related:
Ethics Committee Delays Rangel, Waters Trials as New Poll Says Pelosi Failed to Drain the Swamp
Republicans on Ethics Committee Accuse Lofgren of ‘Stalling’ on Rangel, Waters Trials
Ethics Chair Lofgren Can’t Find Time for Rangel Trial But Brings Colbert Comedy Show to Capitol Hill
Pelosi to Delay Rangel Ethics Trial Until After Election?
Morgenthau Owned Nabors Stock When He Introduced Rangel to CEO Isenberg
Ethics Commitee Covers Up Massive PMA ‘Pay to Play’ Scheme
NY City Cuts Off Funding For Rangel-Backed Group
Charles Rangel Attacks NLPC on House Floor
Rangel Faces New Ethics Complaint From Conservative Group (The Hill)
NLPC Files New Rangel Ethics Complaint
Two House Ethics Committee Members Tainted by Rangel Cash
Timeline of Charles Rangel Ethics Scandal
Photo Casts More Doubt on Rangel Claims
Flaherty: Rangel Had to Know of Junket’s Corporate Sponsorship (Fox News Channel video)
Flaherty: Rangel Dirty Even After Coming Clean (CNN/Anderson Cooper video)
Flaherty: Rangel is ‘Serial Offender’ (CNN/Anderson Cooper video)
NLPC Alleges Charles Rangel Hid More Income in Complaint to House Ethics Committee
Washington Post Calls on Rangel to Resign Ways and Means Chairmanship, But What About Criminality?
WSJ Highlights NLPC’s Efforts to Expose Rangel’s Tax Evasion
Caribbean Junket Probe Headed by Black Caucus Member Shows Pelosi’s ‘Mockery’ of Ethics Process
House Ethics Committee Asks NLPC For Info on Rangel-Led, Citigroup-Funded Caribbean Junket
Peter Flaherty Discusses Citigroup-Funded Congressional Junket on CNBC (video)