OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
4:54 PM – Monday, May 26, 2025
Former New York City Congressman Charles “Charlie” Rangel, a figure in American politics who made himself known on Capitol Hill for nearly five decades, passed away on Monday at the age of 94.
As a well-known public figure in Harlem and lifelong public servant, Rangel’s career spanned from his service in the Korean War to his ascent as the first Black American to chair the House Ways and Means Committee.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who now leads New York’s Congressional delegation in the House—a position Rangel held with distinction for many years, posted on X to commemorate Rangel’s life.
Rangel was elected to Congress in 1970 after mounting a successful challenge against civil rights icon Adam Clayton Powell Jr. for his seat.
Throughout his tenure, Rangel was also a key member of the group “Gang of Four,” a political alliance that shaped Harlem’s political landscape in regard to Democrat politics. Rangel, along with former Mayor David Dinkins, former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton, and former State Senator Basil Paterson, formed a political alliance that wielded significant influence in Upper Manhattan for decades.
Meanwhile, the City College of New York in Harlem—home to the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service—issued a statement on Memorial Day, announcing his passing and honoring him as an advocate for the people of New York City.
“He served for 23 terms in the House of Representatives and was cited as the most effective lawmaker in Congress, leading all of his colleagues in passing legislation,” the statement reads.
Nevertheless, Rangel’s career was spoiled by a major ethics scandal, first brought to light by The New York Post outlet. He faced scrutiny for failing to disclose rental income from a villa he owned in a resort community in the Dominican Republic — a lapse that became a focal point of the controversy.
The outlet’s past exposé was encapsulated by a now-infamous front-page image of Rangel drowsily reclining at his beachfront property, symbolizing the scandal that followed.
A House ethics panel ultimately found Rangel guilty of multiple violations following a two-year investigation. They concluded that he had repeatedly breached Congressional rules by failing to pay his fair share of taxes, concealing assets, and improperly using his position to solicit donations for the City College center named in his honor.
Despite his appeals for leniency, the House delivered a stinging rebuke, voting overwhelmingly to censure him—a rare disciplinary measure invoked only 28 times in the chamber’s more than two centuries of history.
Though only largely symbolic, censure is a formal and public condemnation.
Rangel formally ended his Congressional career with his retirement in 2017, marking the end of an era in New York and national politics.
On Monday, Democrat NYC Mayor Eric Adams chimed in to include his own remarks to the outpouring of tributes, describing Rangel as “one of our city’s greatest elected leaders,” while honoring his enduring legacy of public service.
“I am so sad to lose a dear friend and exemplary model of devotion and courage,” Adams said. “My prayers are with his family, Harlem, and all who knew him.”
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