Rangel Facing Rare Ethics Trial

Barring a last-minute settlement agreement over allegations that Rep. Charlie Rangel violated House rules, a special ethics panel will meet Thursday to set the stage for a rare ethics trial.

The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct announced late last week that one of its investigative subcommittees had found substantial reason to believe that the New York Democrat violated House rules. The announcement followed a nearly two-year probe into allegations involving Rangel’s personal finances, fundraising efforts and other issues.

Those allegations are set to be revealed by a special adjudicatory panel scheduled to meet for the first time this afternoon.

According to sources knowledgeable of the ethics process, the public meeting will serve as an organizational session, including statements from the adjudicatory panel’s leadership, chairwoman Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), who is also ethics chairwoman, ranking member Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), ethics ranking member Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) and Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas), who headed the investigative subcommittee. The panel will also read a “statement of alleged violations” detailing the accusations against Rangel.

“It’s like the reading of an indictment in federal district court,” said attorney Stan Brand, who once served as House general counsel. Brand is not representing Rangel. “It’s a formal proffering of charges.”

Rangel did not indicate Wednesday whether he would attend the meeting but said, “I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but I will be prepared to make a statement when something happens.”

Read more: (Jennifer Yachnin and Steven T. Dennis, “Rangel Facing Rare Ethics Trial,” Roll Call, 07/29/2010)