UTICA, N.Y. - Congressional candidate Richard Hanna today called on Congressman Michael Arcuri to return donations from embattled Congressman Charles Rangel, D-NY, and join him in calling for Rangel to step down as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
 
Rangel is embroiled in three separate investigations by the House Ethics Committee, and has balked at calls for his resignation as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
 
Hanna said he believes Mr. Rangel's errors have compromised his credibility and he should step down. He challenged Arcuri to join him in calling for Rangel's resignation.
 
"Someone who does not pay their income taxes should not be the chief tax writer in the country," said Richard Hanna, who is the Republican, Independence and Conservative candidate for the 24th Congressional District.
 
"It's an embarrassment that Rangel leases four rent-stabilized apartments, including one that he used as a campaign office," Richard Hanna continued. "Rangel should have known better than failing to pay his taxes, and he should step down immediately."
 
"I'm calling on Mike Arcuri to join me in calling for Rangel's resignation and if Rangel fails to do so, Arcuri should call for his ouster," Hanna added.
 
As head of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, the Harlem Democrat oversees taxation, tariffs and revenue-raising measures. The committee also has jurisdiction over Social Security, Unemployment and Medicare.
 
Rangel has donated $4,000 to Arcuri's campaign, and Richard Hanna said those funds should be returned immediately.
 
"Mike Arcuri should return the tainted $4,000 check he took from Charlie Rangel," Hanna said. "Failure to do so would be nothing more than turning a blind eye toward Rangel's dealings."
 
Rangel is the leader of the House tax-writing committee and should be familiar with tax laws. While Rangel's finances have been scrutinized for months, he finally admitted he has not reported years worth of rental income on a beach vacation home he owns in the Dominican Republic.
 
Rangel has recently filed three complaints against himself with the House Ethics Committee to probe the following matters:
 
* The use of his Congressional stationary to solicit support for a planned educational center that would bear his name.
 
* His four rent-stabilized apartments, which includes one he used as a campaign office.
 
* His ownership of a villa at the Punta Cana Yacht Club, which he purchased with a no-interest loan 20 years ago and has failed to report rental income on the resort property.
 
"When are the career politicians in this country going to realize that they should be true leaders and stand for integrity in government?" Richard Hanna asked. "The public deserves and should demand better. If Mike Arcuri is truly the independent he says he is, he will join me in calling for Chairman Rangel to stop down and he will return this tainted money."
 
Arcuri has a history of accepting questionable donations and having to return them. He has returned the following contributions:
 
*Arcuri returned at least $6,000 in campaign contributions to disgraced Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer who resigned in March in the wake of his involvement in a high-priced prostitution ring.

 
*Arcuri returned $7,400 donations from convicted felon Robert "Skip" Anderson and his son, Robert Anderson Jr., on July 26, 2006 - one day after the FBI raided Anderson's Oriska Insurance offices in Oriskany, N.Y.

Skip Anderson pleaded guilty July 14, 2008 to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and faces up to 10 years in federal prison when sentenced Nov. 25.  

 

*In July 2006, Arcuri waited a week until he returned $8,000 in contributions from two Oriska Insurance paralegals, Michele Consiglio and Sharon Z. Martin. Each gave $4,000 on March 31, 2006.  

 

*Arcuri in 2007 also waited a month before returning $2,100 to David Bershad, a New York attorney who faced a 20-count indictment for criminal charges, including: obstructing justice, perjury, bribery and fraud. Bershad later pleaded guilty to conspiracy. 

 

In response, Arcuri's campaign spokesperson Jordan Karp said:

 

“Yet again, Richard Hanna has decided to play politics and side step the real issues that middle-class families are facing.  It’s a shame that just because Richard Hanna can’t defend his unpopular positions on Social Security, trade, and healthcare, he resorts to character attacks that don't have anything to do with the critical issues in this campaign.”