Yarmuth Says Rangel Should Quit Over Ethics Charges

Rep. John Yarmuth was one of a handful of House Democrats to call Friday for veteran congressman Charles Rangel to resign his House seat after being charged with 13 ethics violations.

“If the charges are factually true, and I have no reason to believe that they’re not, then he should leave,” the Louisville lawmaker said in an interview.

Yarmuth advises House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on communication strategy, but he said he was not speaking for her.

Pelosi so far has not discussed the controversy, other than to say that the case shows Democrats are keeping their promise, made when they took control of the House in 2007, to deal forthrightly with ethics issues. The charges were made public on Thursday.

The other House Democrats who called for Rangel’s resignation were Reps. Zack Space, Betty Sutton and Mary Jo Kilroy, all of Ohio; Michael Arcuri of New York; Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona; Walt Minnick of Idaho; and Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania.

Read more: (James R. Carroll, “Yarmuth Says Rangel Should Quit Over Ethics Charges,” Louisville Courier-Journal, 07/30/10)