Rangel Fights Rumors Of His Resignation After High-Profile Ethics Flap

Jillian Bandes | March 02, 2010 8:28 PM

After investigations by the House Ethics Committee, rumors are flying that Democratic Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y) will give up his powerful post. Numerous Hill sources are denying that Rangel will resign, but that didn't stop a number of other mainstream news outlets from reporting his departure as a fact. Exactly what the embroiled chairman will do is still very much up in the air, but early as 8pm on Tuesday, Rangel had told a reporter that he could "bet your life" on his staying.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told The Hill "I guess he is still chair of Ways and Means..." when asked about the situation. In other words, there wasn't a whole lot of rainbows and sunshine coming from his boss.

Fourteen Democrats had pulled their support from Rangel, and Republicans are sponsoring a measure to remove him. R's would need thirty-nine Democrats in total, along with their entire 178-member House caucus, in order to forcibly remove Rangel from his post.

If Rangel is ousted, it is rumored that Rep. Sander Levin, (D-Mich) would replace him.