Rep. Charles Rangel’s taxpayer-provided Cadillac DeVille is pulling double duty as his political campaign vehicle, The Post has learned.
The dual use of the luxurious wheels for official and political purposes may run afoul of House rules and add to the Harlem congressman’s mounting ethical woes.
Rangel’s Member’s Representational Allowance covers the cost of the 2004 model, which he leases for $777.54 a month.
House rules forbid using any allowance funds for political purposes.
But Rangel’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, confirmed the vehicle has been used to take the congressman to political and campaign events.
“It is my understanding that Congressman Rangel uses the car in New York City almost entirely for official purposes,” he said. But “it is obviously difficult for any member of Congress to determine the difference between political and official activity when making visits in his or her district.”
Kyle Anderson, a spokesman for the Committee on House Administration, said the rules are clear.
“The [Member’s Representational Fund] is for the execution of official representational duties. Political and campaign activities would not be included under the purview of official representational duties,” he said.
Rangel for Congress spent $4,107 at Potamkin Cadillac on repairs in 2008. Last year, Rangel’s National Leadership Fund footed the bill for $2,355 at the same shop.
“To avoid having the government possibly pay for campaign events, the congressman, on occasion, has used campaign accounts to pay for certain repair and maintenance costs on the leased car rather than use public funds,” Davis said. “In an abundance of caution to make certain that the taxpayers don’t pay for anything political, fuel charges are paid by the campaign committees.”
Potamkin Cadillac is part of Potamkin Auto Group, which opened an auto mall in Harlem in 2006, with Rangel’s help.
The principals and family of the Potamkin Group have donated $63,800 to Rangel over the past 10 years, financial-disclosure records show.