US News

Staff as ‘forgetful’ as the boss

WASHINGTON — Charlie Rangel’s “forgetfulness” is apparently contagious.

Two of his top aides are among about a dozen highly paid staffers on the powerful tax-writing Ways and Means Committee who have filed a flurry of amendments correcting their financial-disclosure statements since 2002.

Jim Capel, chief of staff for Rangel’s personal office, failed to file any such statements for six years.

On the afternoon of July 14, Capel filed five years’ worth of delinquent reports.

Capel told The Post yesterday it was a simple oversight.

“I am sorry for not making these filings in the timely manner as required,” he said. “My failure was not done for no other reason than I just forgot to do so.”

Another serial mis-filer working for Rangel is George Dalley, who is legal counsel in Rangel’s personal office. Dalley has amended his statements four times since 2002.

In his 2007 statement, he failed to disclose as much as $150,000 in rental income on two properties in DC.

The House Ethics Committee also discovered that Dalley had failed to report as much as $45,000 in business transactions he made in 2006.

On his 2004 statement, he failed to report as much as $47,000 in income.

Capel and Dalley are among about a dozen top staffers for the Ways and Means Committee, which Rangel chairs, and Rangel’s personal office who have filed a combined 24 amendments over the past seven years.

churt@nypost.com