Rangel Asks House to Go Easy on Him

House Representative Charles Rangel asked today for “fairness and mercy” as he awaits his sentencing from the ethics committee, which found him guilty on 11 counts of violating House ethics rules. The ethics panel will meet at noon Thursday to consider his sanction, although most have promised it will be nothing but a reprimand.

How can 40 witnesses, 30,000 pages of transcripts, over 550 exhibits measure against my forty years of service and commitment to this body I love so much? I ask the committee in reviewing the sanctions to take that into serious consideration, as well as the effects this ordeal has had on my wife, family and constituents. I hope my four decades of service merit a sanction that is in keeping with and no greater than House precedents and also contains a drop of fairness and mercy.

In speaking, Rangel finally admitted to wrongdoing in making his financial disclosures over the years, but did not go into any specifics about his "omission." 

I would say he made mistakes. Any non-politician would've been fined into bankruptcy or in jail. He is a disgrace. A reprimand is a joke and so is the ethics process.