Reports by The Hill and the New York Post explore possible ethics violations surrounding trips to the Caribbean taken by members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.).
The trips, taken in early November to the island of St. Maarten, were sponsored by the New York Carib News, a nonprofit organization that puts out a newspaper focused on Caribbean issues. Carib News indicated on disclosure forms filed with the House that it had not taken donations specifically for the trip - any such donations would be a violation of a recent House Ethics rule. But reports show corporations likely shelled out most of the cash to pay for the conference which was the stated reason for the trips.
The trip was not a one-time affair; New York Carib News has sponsored congressional travel to tropical locations for their business conference every year since at least 2000, when LegiStorm started tracking such travel. But the ethics rule in question was passed two years ago, after Democrats regained control of the House.
According to The Hill, travelers' airfare to the conference this year was provided as an in-kind donation by American Airlines. The New York Post says conference material proudly stated sponsorship of several major corportations. However, none of these connections was disclosed on the forms filed with the Ethics Committee and required for trip approval.
The reports are only the latest in a string of news stories highlighting questionable dealings by Rangel. In the past few months, there have been articles highlighting possible wrongdoing regarding his fundraising, his failure to declare rental income on his taxes, possible violations regarding rent-controlled apartments in New York City and his role in killing a tax increase on one of his major donors.
You can see the details of all of Rangel's trips, including the most recent one to St. Maarten, here on LegiStorm, as well as his Personal Financial Disclosures.
