NRSC

Why Is Paul Hodes Standing By Embattled Charlie Rangel After Ethics Committee Charged Him With 13 Serious Violations?

After the bipartisan House Ethics Committee officially charged U.S. Representative Charlie Rangel (D-NY) with 13 serious ethics violations, his liberal colleague U.S. Representative Paul Hodes (D-NH) still refuses to return at least $17,000 in donations that he received from Rangel’s campaign committee and leadership PAC.

The Associated Press reported today that, “House investigators on Thursday alleged 13 violations of congressional ethics and federal law by veteran New York Rep. Charles Rangel. The charges include failure to report rental income from vacation property in the Dominican Republic and failing to report more than $600,000 income on his congressional financial disclosure statements.”

Notably, many of Hodes’ fellow Democrats have already returned Rangel’s tainted cash, including Hodes’ fellow New Hampshire Democrat, Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH), who recently returned $14,000 of Rangel’s dirty money.

“Why is Paul Hodes desperately clinging to Charlie Rangel’s dirty money? Considering Hodes’ fellow Democrats have already dumped more than half-a-million dollars of Rangel’s tainted cash, it’s inexplicable that New Hampshire’s liberal Democrat Senate hopeful is still standing by his embattled colleague instead of denouncing his actions and returning his donations,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Press Secretary Amber Marchand.

Background Information:

Paul Hodes Has Accepted At Least $17,000 From Rangel’s Campaign Committee And Leadership PAC:

Hodes Accepted $2,000 In September 2006, And Two Separate Times In March 2008 From Rangel For Congress. (Federal Election Commission Website, www.fec.gov, Accessed 2/25/10)

In The 2008 Cycle, Paul Hodes Accepted $5,000 From Rangel’s Leadership PAC. (Center For Responsive Politics Website, http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00302588&cycle=2008, Accessed 2/25/10)

In The 2006 Cycle, Hodes Accepted $5,000 From Rangel’s Leadership PAC. (Center For Responsive Politics Website, http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00302588&cycle=2006, Accessed 2/25/10)

In The 2004 Cycle, Hodes Accepted $1,000 From Rangel’s Leadership PAC. (Center For Responsive Politics Website, http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00302588&cycle=2004, Accessed 2/25/10)