Rangel asks supporters to tell reps to vote no on censure vote

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Rep. Charles Rangel of New York asked 25,000 campaign donors Wednesday to call the Capitol switchboard and urge their representatives to vote against censuring him for ethical misconduct.

There’s only one problem. For many of them, Rangel is their congressman.

Rangel, 80, a Democrat who has served his Harlem district for 40 years, faces a scheduled censure vote today. He’s likely to become the 23rd House member ever to receive the most-serious punishment short of expulsion — and the first since 1983.

He’s seeking a lesser reprimand for fund-raising and financial violations, including failure to pay taxes on income from a vacation villa and filing misleading, public financial reports.