Embattled Rep. Charlie Rangel said Thursday that God had told him not to make a deal on the multiple ethics charges he is currently facing.
The 20-term Democratic congressman from Harlem was at Columbia University to talk about economic development but his troubles in the House were clearly on his mind, myFOXny.com reported.
“I sincerely want to thank all of you for supporting me in what I’m going through,” Rangel said.
“I have never heard of a case when someone is accused of something and they want a hearing and it takes a profile in courage to say you are entitled to a hearing … How lucky are you when God tells you that you don’t have to take a plea … that you can tell them, let the facts speak for themselves.”
Fronting reporters later, Rangel changed his tune somewhat about any divine guidance he may have received, the New York Daily News reported.
“I exaggerated. I really didn’t talk to God … I said that in the heat of the campaign but no, she hasn’t spoken to me recently,” he said.
He went on: “In America, I just always thought that unless they readjust the accusations, that a person was entitled to be heard, and really heard by their peers.
“If they changed that rule, then perhaps you wouldn’t run around asking, you know, ‘Why don’t you retire? Why don’t you get away? Why don’t you go away?’ I mean, after all, I’m pretty proud of the record I’ve established in over 50 years of public service.”
Rangel was charged last week with 13 counts of ethics violations by the The House Ethics Committee.
The 80-year-old is facing allegations he misused his congressional staff letterhead to solicit donations, accepted rent-stabilized apartments in Harlem, made errors in financial disclosure forms and failed to pay taxes on rent he collected from a villa in the Dominican Republic.