By Della Hasselle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN – Most voters in Manhattan think that Rep. Charles Rangel should step down from office because of the 13 ethics charges filed against him, according to a recent poll conducted by the New York Times.
Rangel is accused of evading taxes on a beachfront vill in the Dominican Republic, misusing rent-stabilized housing in Harlem, and using his political power to raise funds for a City College center to be named after him.
His battle with the House Ethics Committee has put him in an unfavorable light with some voters and made a significant dent in his campaign fund, harming his chances in the Sept. 14 Democratic primary, the paper said.
According to the poll, 70 percent of Manhattan voters want Rangel to leave Congress one way or another — 46 percent think he should quit after completing his term, while 26 percent want him to resign immediately, the New York Times said.
Most voters—73 percent—also think that the charges against him are at least somewhat truthful, the Times reported.
“I’m sure he knew very well he hadn’t paid taxes,” voter Jeanne Cain, 89, told the Times. “When someone has been around so many years, they know all the angles. I think it’s time for him to step down and let someone else take over.”
Although some voters think he evaded property taxes, Rangel did not escape hefty legal fees. Federal documents released Friday show that the Congressman has paid roughly $1.8 million in legal bills from his ethics charges, the Daily News reported.
Over $111,170 of that money was spent since July, and it all came from his campaign funds, according to the News.
Some watchdogs believe that his use of campaign money to fight ethics charges isn’t proper.
“Let people know what they are contributing to your lawyers, not your reelection,” Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause, told the News.
It isn’t illegal to use campaign money for legal fees, however. Moreover, a small percentage of voters think that the ethics charges against Rangel should have no role in his success at the Primary campaign.
“I am in his district, and everyone here says the same thing,” Upper West Side resident Cleo Kenney, 88, told the Times. “We think he is well qualified. He is always available and has done a good job for his community. The fact that we’ve kept him there for a long time should speak for itself. Why would we change now? We voted for him for a reason.”
