Monday, November 15, 2010

Popcorn Time: Charlie Rangel Threatens to Walk Out of His Ethics Trial

Complaining that he was denied the right to have an attorney present for his ethics trial, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) threatened to walk out of the proceedings, which started today, unless he was given more time to hire counsel, reports Politico.

Rangel no longer retains the law firm Zuckerman Spaeder last month after paying them $1.6 million. Rangel said the firm wanted another $1 million, funds that he no longer had available after running through his campaign account.

"I am being denied to the right to have a lawyer right now because I don’t have the opportunity to have a legal defense fund set up," Rangel said. "And because I don’t have a million dollars to pay my counsel."

The ethics committee went into a private session to consider Rangel’s request to postpone the trial.

UPDATE: The committee has decided to proceed with the trial. Rangel walks out.

2 comments:

  1. You have a right to be represented by a $1M attorney? I thought you just had a right to hire an attorney in general?

    More special privileges for politicians, I guess.

    Quick poll, who is stupidest?
    1.) Person who voluntarily donates money to the UST to "help pay down the national debt"?
    2.) Person who believes in unicorns?
    3.) Person who donates money to Charlie Rangel's legal defense fund based on the assumption that the man is not guilty of major ethics and legal violations?

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  2. I would say that those allegations are founded and should be investigated. However it has nothing to do with the fact that Rangel has done some improper things here and should be investigated HIMSELF...

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