Rangel and His Attorneys Part Ways

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), who faces an ethics trial next month, has parted ways with his lead defense attorneys in the case, according to several sources familiar with the matter.

It is unclear what, if any, impact this will have on the Rangel trial, which is scheduled to begin Nov. 15. It is also not clear whether Rangel decided to get rid of his attorneys or if they left of their own volition.

Rangel has been represented by the law firm Zuckerman Spaeder for the past two years as the ethics scandal surrounding the New York Democrat grew in size and scope. Leslie Kiernan, a well-respected white-collar criminal expert at Zuckerman Spaeder, has headed up his legal team. Rangel has paid the firm more than $1.4 million since the ethics investigation began in mid-2008, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Read more: (John Bresnahan, “Rangel Loses Ethics Lawyer,” Politico, 10/15/2010)