Charlie Melancon Stands by Ethically Challenged Charlie Rangel
Posted in Press Releases Posted by Administrator on Jul 23, 2010Charlie Melancon Stands by Ethically Challenged Charlie Rangel
Melancon should return Rangel’s tainted campaign cash
Baton Rouge – Yesterday the bipartisan House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct announced, after a lengthy investigation, that U.S. Representative Charlie Rangel (D-NY) has been officially charged with a range of ethics violations. The Republican Party of Louisiana questions why U.S. Representative Charlie Melancon (D-LA) continues to loyally stand by his Democrat colleague.
The Republican Party of Louisiana is demanding Melancon return Rangel’s tainted campaign cash. In March of this year several of Melancon’s Democrat colleagues returned thousands of dollars worth of campaign contributions from Rangel. But, Charlie Melancon has refused to return $13,000 from Rangel’s campaign committee and leadership PAC despite mounting evidence of Rangel’s illegal activities.
“It’s time for Charlie Melancon to publically reprimand Charlie Rangel, call for his resignation, and return the $13,000 he’s received from the ethically challenged congressman,” said Republican Party of Louisiana Deputy Chairman Charlie Davis. “Melancon is clearly getting no support for his floundering campaign if he’s reduced to collecting campaign cash from trial lawyers in Canada and disgraced Democrat colleagues in the House. Sen. Vitter is effectively fighting for Louisiana by passing flood insurance, protecting the Road Home program, working to lift the moratorium and fighting the liberal spending habits of Obama and Melancon.”
The New York Times reported earlier this week after nearly two years of investigation that Rangel “improperly rented four rent-stabilized apartments in Harlem at a price well below market value, despite rules forbidding House members from accepting gifts worth more than $50. It also had been investigating allegations that he improperly used his office to provide legislative favors for an oil-drilling company that pledged a $1 million donation for an academic center named for Mr. Rangel and improperly failed to report taxable income received from a villa he owns in the Dominican Republic.”
Charlie Melancon Has Accepted At Least $13,000 From Rangel’s Campaign Committee And Leadership PAC:
Melancon Accepted $1,000 in October 2004, $1,000 in November 2004, $2,000 in March 2005 and $2,000 in January 2006 from Rangel For Congress. (Federal Election Commission, link, Accessed 7/23/10)
In The 2004 Cycle, Melancon Accepted $6,000 From Rangel’s Leadership PAC. (Center For Responsive Politics Website, link, Accessed 7/23/10)
In The 2006 Cycle, Charles Melancon Accepted $1,000 From Rangel’s Leadership PAC. (Center For Responsive Politics Website, link, Accessed 7/23/10)
