NLPC Files FEC Complaint Against Rep. Rangel; Alleges Use of Rent-Stabilized Apartment for Campaign Office is Illegal

FALLS CHURCH, Va., July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) is today filing a formal Complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) regarding his use of a rent-stabilized apartment in Harlem for a campaign office. The Complaint alleges that the greatly reduced rent enjoyed by Rangel's campaign is an illegal corporate contribution from the building owner, the Olnick Organization, which is also named as a Respondent in the Complaint.

The Complaint alleges further that the Respondents failed to report the illegal corporate contributions.

On July 11, The New York Times carried a story by David Kocieniewski headlined "For Rangel, Four Rent-Stabilized Apartments." The story reported that Rangel, Chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, has four rent-stabilized apartments in Lenox Terrace, a luxury development owned by the Olnick Organization, which was described as "one of New York's premier real estate developers."

The article stated that Rangel lived in three apartment units on the 16th floor but maintained a campaign office in the fourth apartment located on the tenth floor "despite state and city regulations that require rent-stabilized apartments to be used as a primary residence."

The New York Times article stated that Rangel paid "$3,894 monthly in 2007 for the four apartments" but that the Olnick Organization's Web site indicated that the "current market-rate rent for similar apartments in Mr. Rangel's building would total $7,465 to $8,125 a month."

NLPC Chairman Ken Boehm stated, "Rangel's claim that there is nothing wrong with a powerful Congressman having four rent-controlled apartments does not pass the laugh test. Moreover, the use of one of them for a campaign office is clearly illegal."

The Complaint states, "This case represents a textbook example for the need for the FEC to protect the integrity of the election finance process. If a powerful Congressman can receive significant corporate in-kind contributions year after year while failing to disclose those contributions, the message being sent is that the law is a sham."

The Complaint urges the FEC "to conduct a full and prompt investigation into the facts of this case. Anything less would undermine the confidence of the public in the integrity of the campaign finance system."

NLPC promotes ethics in public life and sponsors the Government Integrity Project.

CONTACT: Ken Boehm, +1-703-237-1970, for National Legal and Policy Center

Web site: http://www.nlpc.org/

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