Yeah, when you're a politician, not only does everything have to be above board, but it all has to LOOK like it's above board, too.
That's what did in democratic congressman Charlie Rangle. He took a few vacations to the Carribean that were paid for by large companies, and being the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee that makes all the tax laws you guys have to live by, he forgot about hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets that he had until he found out he was being investigated, and then suddenly remembered that he was richer than he thought.
It's kind of a shame. The guy spends 40 years in the public service and would have otherwise been regarded as an upstanding character. He coulda retired and just lived off of speaking engagements or written a few books. Now, he's going to be regarded as the guy who got caught with his fingers in the cookie jar.
He'd have been better off claiming all his assets and income and just getting himself caugh in a wild and crazy sex scandal. Then, at least, people woulda thought "for 80 years old, that Rangle still has a way with the ladies" and people woulda laughed it off as just another feather in Charlie Rangle's hat. Now he's gotta resign as the tax man who made laws requiring everyone else to pay up or else, but cheated on his own taxes.
It reminds me of the early days of the Obama administration when half the people that Barack had asked to serve as advisors in his cabinet respectfully declined because they knew:
1.) they had been paying an illegal Mexican to look after their kid, or
2.) they had been paying an illegal Mexican to look after their landscaping, or
3.) they had been caught cheating on their taxes, or
4.) they had been caught cheating on their wife.
So much for leading by example, eh?
