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13 House raps wallop Rangel

WASHINGTON — The House ethics panel threw the book at Rep. Charles Rangel yesterday, charging him with 13 violations, in an action that rocked the Capitol and set up a possible corruption trial in the midst of the election season.

The devastating charges, detailed in a 40-page report, are an embarrassing last act to the Harlem Democrat’s 40-year career as a congressional powerhouse and dean of the New York delegation.

The ethics committee found after an exhaustive two-year investigation that Rangel had a “pattern of indifference or disregard for the laws, rules and regulations of the United States and the House of Representatives.”

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“These actions, if proven, would demonstrate that Mr. Rangel violated multiple provisions of the House rules and federal statutes,” said Rep. Michael McCaul (Texas), an ex-prosecutor who is the top Republican on the panel.

“This includes his alleged violation of the most fundamental code of conduct — that members must at all times act in a way which reflects creditably on the House.”

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), Democratic chairwoman of the ethics committee, also rapped Rangel for having made misleading public statements about the probe.

The seriousness of the charges threatened to turn Rangel into a political liability for Democrats. They were leveled after fellow party members turned up the pressure on him to make a deal so the issue might go away.

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In fact, Rangel’s lawyers reached a plea deal with lawyers for the committee, people familiar with the talks said, but Republicans on the panel said it was too late.

If no agreement is worked out, Rangel would face a House trial starting next month, with a range of punishments ranging from censure to expulsion.

Rangel, 80, a decorated Korean War combat vet who invariably sports a smile and dapper outfit, was reflective yesterday.

“Sixty years ago, I survived a Chinese attack in North Korea, and as a result, I haven’t had a bad day since,” Rangel said before the charges were announced. “But today, I have to reassess that statement.”

In one of its harshest allegations, the panel found “substantial reason” to believe Rangel broke rules by soliciting corporations and foundations with business before Congress for large contributions to the Charles Rangel Center for Public Service at CCNY — a story The Post broke in 2007.

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After reviewing 28,000 pages of documents, the committee found that Rangel hit up foundations run by Verizon, New York Life, AT&T, Citi, JPMorgan Chase and Merrill Lynch. All of those companies had important matters before the Ways and Means Committee, which Rangel chaired until he gave up the gavel after getting hit with an admonition from the ethics panel over a Caribbean junket.

A 2005 letter Rangel wrote to foundations on congressional letterhead asked for staggering $30 million gifts and included a brochure touting the center.

Contrary to rules and laws, Rangel used his office, staff and free mailing privileges to seek cash for the center, according to the document, which cited a memo revealing an effort to get a $10 million gift to create an “AIG Hall” at the center. AIG feared bad publicity, the report said.

In 2006, Rangel met with CCNY officials and Eugene Isenberg, head of Nabors Industries, in the offices of Manhattan’s then-district attorney, Robert Morgenthau; the businessman pledged a total of $1 million, according to the report.

In February 2007, Rangel met with Isenberg to discuss a tax break the congressman previously opposed — on the day it was being considered by the Ways and Means Committee. The tax break ultimately passed, and 11 days after the meeting, CCNY cashed a $100,000 check from Isenberg.

The committee also charged Rangel with a “pattern” of failing to properly disclose income and assets, finding “numerous errors and omissions.” The Post broke that story by revealing he didn’t report $600,000 in income and assets to Congress.

The “pattern” also included not reporting and paying taxes on up to $75,000 in rental income from Rangel’s Dominican villa.

The ethics panel revealed that Rangel didn’t report to the IRS more than $140,000 in rental income.

Investigators also found Rangel gained access to four rent-stabilized apartments at Lenox Terrace in Harlem, using one for a campaign office without a sublease — and got on a “special handling list” from the landlord, The Olnick Organization. The law bars such units from being used as offices.

At the same time, Rangel’s staff worked to “resolve” issues when tenants were talking about going on a rent strike, according to the charges.

The investigative panel decided not to charge Rangel with any violations relating to his storage of a vintage Mercedes under a Capitol garage.

Rangel didn’t attend the hearing, but admitted to The Post last night that he had committed “serious violations of House rules.” But Rangel said the violations “were not charges of corruption, money-taking or scandal.”

Asked if he was guilty of the charges, he retorted, “Don’t say ‘guilty!’ ”

Earlier, Rangel told reporters he was “prepared to prove that the only thing I’ve ever had in my 50 years of public service is service.”

geoff.earle@nypost.com