Charlie Rangel Allegations: Top 4 Misdeeds Cited by Ethics Committee

(July 29) -- The House Ethics Committee released 13 allegations today against New York Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel. If he fails to come to a settlement during the next few weeks, the House will hold a very public hearing to present its case against him, inevitably clouding his bid for re-election this fall.

While the congressman mulls his fate and confuses commentators, Surge Desk took a look at the 44-page document and came away with four top picks for his most damning alleged misdeeds.

1. Inappropriate use of the sacred congressional letterhead.

In 2005, Rangel sent out a flurry of letters to New York wheelers and dealers -- including Donald Trump -- asking for $6 million to launch the one and only Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at City College of New York.

"Letters were sent on congressional letterhead, bearing the words 'Congress of the United States' and 'House of Representatives,'" the committee document reads. "Respondent personally signed each of the June 2005 letters."

2. Inappropriate fondness for the Rockefeller family.

And the feeling was mutual. Rangel's letter-writing spree included notes to the Rockefeller Foundation and David Rockefeller, requesting some serious cash money. And they came through, donating a total of $150,000 for Rangel's center.

But that's pocket change compared with what some of his other major contributors ponied up: the Verizon Foundation handed over $500,000, while the Starr Foundation gave $5 million.

Trump? Nada.

3. Inability to fill out financial disclosure statements.

By now, we've all read about Rangel's four rent-controlled apartments, none of which were used as his primary residence -- which the law requires in order to qualify for the cost ceiling.

But Rangel's statements, which were prepared by his staff members and signed by him, were allegedly rife with boo-boos dating back to 1997.

"Respondent's financial disclosure statements contained numerous errors and omissions, including failure to disclose rental and other unearned income, understating rental income and other unearned income ... [and] failure to disclose transactions," the document reads, at length.

4. Yum!my -- undisclosed -- investments.

Rangel's omission of rental income on his Punta Cana vacation home in the Dominican Republic has already made headlines. But he's also a longtime investor in stocks and mutual funds -- only you wouldn't know it from his taxes, because Rangel opted not to disclose those earnings either.

A short-list of Rangel's hot stock picks, according to the ethics documents: Pepsi, Yum! Brands and Verizon.

For a more detailed view of these and many more alleged misdeeds of the House's fourth most senior Democrat, check out the "Statement of Alleged Violation" document in its entirety below:

Charlie Rangel Statement of Alleged Violation