Embattled Congressman Charlie Rangel is now claiming that he signed a plea deal regarding his ethics violations but that the GOP played politics with the situtation and pushed for a trial. From NYDailyNews:
Rep. Charles Rangel told Harlem leaders Saturday he signed a plea deal on ethics charges but that the GOP pushed for a trial.
"He said he had signed an agreement. He was ready to go but I guess politics came into play," said Assemblyman Keith Wright (D-Manhattan), one of about 50 leaders gathered for a Harlem district meeting Saturday.
Another attendee said Rangel implied, "It was Republicans that didn't want an agreement" and that he signed a deal before the ethics committee released its report last month.
Rangel, who faces 13 ethics violations, said earlier this week that he won't settle to make others in Congress "comfortable."