Texas Insider Report: BRYAN Texas Its never the wrong time to do the right thing. Incumbent Chet Edwards has a clear opportunity to demonstrate his commitment to rigorous ethics and call for the resignation of Congressman Rangel and return or donate to charity the $42000 in donations he has received from him" said Congressional Candidate Bill Flores earlier today.
Rep. Rangel has donated $42000 to Edwards only 7 members have taken more money from Rangel than Edwards.
Of the 75 Democratic members who have received campaign contributions from Rangel 24 have said they are returning or donating the entire amount to charity. To date long-time incumbent Edwards has refused to do so.
Even though Rep. Edwards is a senior member of the Democratic Party in the House he has not demonstrated meaningful leadership on Rangels ethics problems voting in February 2009 to block the consideration of a resolution on the House floor to remove Rep. Rangel as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee (HR 143 Vote #57).
As a result Flores is calling on 20-year career politician Congressman Chet Edwards (D-TX) to demand the resignation of disgraced Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) who last Thursday was charged with multiple serious violations by the House Ethics Committee.
National Journal Magazine contacted offices of each member of Congress who took money from Rangel. Those members like Congressman Edwards who either remained silent or did not respond to phone or email messages are blank below.
MONEY FROM
MEMBER RANGEL RETURNED?
Altmire (D-PA) $21K
Arcuri (D-NY) $14K Charity
Barrow (D-GA) $33K
Bean (D-IL) $28K
S. Bishop (D-GA) $6K
T. Bishop (D-NY) $15K Money has been spent
Boccieri (D-OH) $59K No decision yet
Boswell (D-IA) $53K
Boyd (D-FL) $9K
Braley (D-IA) $7K
Bright (D-AL) $14K
Cardoza (D-CA) $7K
Carney (D-PA) $21K
Chandler (D-KY) $10K
Connolly (D-VA) $7K
Costa (D-CA) $2K
Courtney (D-CT) $26K
Cuellar (D-TX) $8K Charity
Dahlkemper (D-PA) $14K No comment
L. Davis (D-TN) $15K
Donnelly (D-IN) $21K Charity
Driehaus (D-OH) $12K
Edwards (D-TX) $42K
Foster (D-IL) $14K Charity
Giffords (D-AZ) $21K Charity
Hall (D-NY) $21K
Halvorson (D-IL) $60K Charity
Heinrich (D-NM) $12K
Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) $17K
Higgins (D-NY) $11K
Hill (D-IN) $26K
Himes (D-CT) $16K Charity
Holden (D-PA) $19K
Israel (D-NY) $9K
Kagen (D-WI) $21K
Kanjorski (D-PA) $21K
Kilroy (D-OH) $22K Returning
Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) $14K Charity
Kissell (D-NC) $23K Partly returning
Klein (D-FL) $9K Charity
Kosmas (D-FL) $14K Charity
Larsen (D-WA) $24K
Maffei (D-NY) $82K No
B. Markey (D-CO) $7K
Marshall (D-GA) $29K
Massa (D-NY) $74K
Matheson (D-UT) $45K
McMahon (D-NY) $70K
McNerney (D-CA) $21K Charity
Michaud (D-ME) $12K
Minnick (D-ID) $55K Charity
Mitchell (D-AZ) $28K Returning
C. Murphy (D-CT) $21K Returning
P. Murphy (D-PA) $19K
Nye (D-VA) $14K
Perriello (D-VA) $7K Charity
Peters (D-MI) $16K Charity
Pomeroy (D-ND) $30K
Rodriguez (D-TX) $21K
Ross (D-AR) $19K
Schauer (D-MI) $14K Charity
Schrader (D-OR) $7K
Shea-Porter (D-NH) $14K Returning
Shuler (D-NC) $14K
Space (D-OH) $21K Charity
Spratt (D-SC) $18K
Sutton (D-OH) $7K Charity
Stupak (D-MI) $7K
Teague (D-NM) $4k
Titus (D-NV) $15K Partly returning
Tsongas (D-MA) $7K Charity
Walz (D-MN) $21K
C. Wilson (D-OH) $12K Charity
Wu (D-OR) $5K
Yarmuth (D-KY) $12K Charity
Flores noted that on Rep. Edwards own official website is reference to behavior such as Rangels and Edwards purported position saying Congress must abide by rigorous ethics and accountability rules"
Like most Americans Congressman Edwards believes that in order to effectively conduct the peoples business Congress must abide by rigorous ethics and accountability rules."
At a time when Congress has record-low approval ratings and with Speaker Pelosi promising the most ethical Congress in history it is time for them to hold Rangel accountable" said Flores. Flores is also demanding that Edwards return or donate to charity the $42000 in donations he has received from Rangel. Texans cannot understand why Rep. Edwards thought it was acceptable for a tax cheat to Chair the tax committee in the House. Edwards now has a perfect
opportunity to demonstrate leadership if he chooses to do so" Flores said.
Among the violations Rangel:
- Improperly obtained 4 rent-controlled New York apartments (one of which he used as a campaign office)
- Failed to reveal more than $500000 in taxable assets
- Failed to disclose $75000 in rental income for a villa in the Dominican Republic and
- Used Congressional letterhead to solicit donations for a charity in his name.
