Ethics claims against Rangel

 A House investigative panel filed 13 charges of ethical wrongdoing against Rep. Charles Rangel. Among them are allegations that Rangel:

• Improperly used official stationery and congressional staff to solicit donations for a New York college center named after him.

• Accepted favors and benefits from donors to the Rangel Center that could be construed as influencing his congressional actions.

• Improperly used the congressional free mail privilege to send solicitations for the Rangel Center in violation of postal laws and congressional rules.

• Engaged in a pattern of submitting financial disclosure statements that were incomplete and inaccurate.

• Failed to report rental income from his unit in the Punta Cana resort in the Dominican Republic on his federal tax returns from 1998 through 2006.

• Used a rent-subsidized apartment in New York as a campaign office when the lease required that it be only for living space.