Rangel donated to Carney, Kanjorski

BILL O ’ BOYLE and ANDREW M. SEDER

boboyle@timesleader.com

Embattled U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel has donated $21,000 each to the campaigns of two of his congressional colleagues from Northeast Pennsylvania since 2000.

Reports filed with the Federal Election Commission show Rangel’s political action committees – National Leadership PAC and Rangel for Congress PAC - have donated to the election campaigns of 12-term incumbent Democrat Paul E. Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, and freshman Democrat Chris Carney, D-Dimock Township.

Kanjorski represents the 11th Congressional District and Carney serves the 10th.

Rangel, a Democratic congressman from New York, is the subject of an investigation by the House Ethics Committee over questions regarding his personal finances, including unreported income on a vacation home in the Dominican Republic that has led to his owing an estimated $5,000 in back taxes.

According to FEC reports, the Kanjorski campaign received $14,000 from the two Rangel PACs this election cycle - $10,000 from the National Leadership PAC and $4,000 from the Rangel for Congress PAC. Kanjorski’s campaign received $7,000 from Rangel’s PACs during the 2002 through 2006 election cycles.

Carney’s campaign received $21,000 since the 2006 election cycle. In the current campaign cycle, Carney received $10,000 from Rangel’s National Leadership PAC and $4,000 from the Rangel for Congress PAC. When Carney first ran for Congress against Republican incumbent Don Sherwood in 2006, his campaign received $5,000 from the National Leadership PAC and $2,000 from the Rangel for Congress PAC.

Ken Spain, press secretary at the National Republican Congressional Committee, criticized Kanjorski and Carney for accepting the money from Rangel’s PACs and urged them to return it.

“When it comes to standing by corrupt politicians, it appears that Paul Kanjorski and Chris Carney have a lot in common,” Spain said in an e-mailed statement. “Even the liberal New York Times has called for Charlie Rangel to step down, but neither Kanjorski nor Carney is willing to give up the tens of thousands of dollars in cash that they have pocketed.” Mark Harris, spokesman for Carney’s Republican opponent Chris Hackett, said the GOP challenger called on Carney to return the money before the latest scandals surfaced.

“Instead, Carney had Rangel headline a fundraiser for him, after Carney voted for a Rangel earmark,” Harris said. “This is Washington’s tainted politics at its worst.”

Carney refused to comment and will wait until all the facts are in, said spokesman Vince Rongione. “We will not take any action, except to say that elected officials should be held to a higher standard and it is up to the voters in his district to decide.” Kanjorski has come under fire for being the beneficiary of a scheduled Sept. 24 fundraiser in Washington that is being hosted by Rangel. Rangel chairs the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

Kanjorski’s opponent, Republican Lou Barletta, has sharply criticized Kanjorski for his association with Rangel.

“It speaks for itself,” Barletta spokesman Vince Galko said. “We can’t change Washington unless we stop sending the same politicians back there every time.”

Kanjorski campaign spokesman Ed Mitchell shot back at the Barletta camp, urging it to return money it accepted from Alaska Republican Sen. Ted Stevens and “the convicted and formerly jailed drug dealer in Hazleton.”

In 2002, the Northern Lights PAC operated by Stevens donated $1,000 to Barletta’s failed run for Congress – six years before the July indictment of Stevens on seven counts of making false statements for failing to disclose gifts and home renovations on his annual Senate financial disclosure form.

Paul DeAngelo, co-owner of DBiServices Inc., gave Barletta $1,000 on March 28. In 1994, DeAngelo was sentenced to 18 months in jail for his role in the Empire drug ring. He was released in 1995.

Spain said the Kanjorski-Rangel association is damaging to the 24-year congressman’s re-election chances.

The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Rangel will not step down as chairman of the committee responsible for, among other things, tax-writing, as he undergoes an ethics investigation by fellow lawmakers, his lawyer Lanny Davis said.

Bill O’Boyle, a Times Leader staff writer, can be reached at 829-7218. Andrew M. Seder, a Times Leader staff writer, can be reached at 829-7269.