Rangel's Fundraising for 'Me' Monument Questioned

New York Rep. Charles Rangel has raised eyebrows with fundraising efforts for a new center Republicans labeled his “Monument to Me.” After securing a $1.9 congressional earmark, Rangel is soliciting money from firms affected by his House Ways and Means Committee to build the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at New York’s City College, which would house his papers, the Washington Post reports.

Rangel’s panel weighs in on taxes, trade, Social Security, and Medicare. “Charlie Rangel may deserve a center at City College,” said a political expert. But in fundraising, “the danger is that it begins to blur the lines between whether a quid pro quo is implied.” Rangel begs to differ. “If it was an ethical problem, I wouldn't do it,” he said. (More Congress stories.)