That excuse may not have gotten you out of hot water with your parents, but it seems to hold some sway with Time magazine, at least when it comes to ethically-challenged former House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.).
Staffer Michael Scherer apparently drew the short straw for the August 13 assignment, in which he focused on just one of the numerous allegations of impropriety against Rangel: that he misused his congressional office to solicit contributions to the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service.
Of course, there are other serious charges against Rangel -- who used to chair the House committee responsible for federal tax policy -- namely that he avoided paying taxes on property that he owns. From the July 29 Washington Times:
The charges, detailed in a 40-page "Statement of Alleged Violation," break down into four categories: that he solicited money for the Rangel Center from those doing business before his committee; that he made errors and omissions on his financial disclosure forms; that he was given use of a rent-subsidized apartment for an office; and that he failed to report rental income and and pay federal taxes on it.
Curiously, Scherer failed to mention those three other categories in his blog post.
