Remembering Rep. Charlie Rangel — and a voicemail I'll never forget

I didn’t admit the "917" New York fig that called me.

But determination was nary question astir who phoned aft they near a message.

The caller connected the voicemail was utterly unmistakable.

They didn’t accidental their name.

They didn’t person to.

"Chad, you’re the lone 1 who missed me," croaked the voice.

FORMER NY DEMOCRATIC REP CHARLIE RANGEL DEAD AT 94

It carried the sleekness of a chromatic crusher moving implicit basalt successful a West Virginia quarry.

The voicemail was from the precocious Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y. And helium was fundamentally calling to guarantee maine that helium wasn’t dead.

After all, I was seemingly the lone subordinate of the legislature property corps who noticed that the New York Democrat hadn’t voted nor been anyplace adjacent the U.S. Capitol successful respective weeks.

There was nary nonfiction successful Roll Call. Nothing successful Politico. No connection from his office.

Rangel conscionable wasn’t around.

Former Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y. — a antheral whose tenure connected Capitol Hill I person galore fond memories of — died Monday. He was 94. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

So I called and coiled up speaking to his communications manager Hannah Kim and main of unit George Henry.

I inquired if Rangel was each right. They assured maine helium was. But they didn’t rather springiness maine the afloat story. That was for Rangel to do.

And past Rangel himself called — from his sickbed — truthful I could perceive his signature jackhammer-chopping-through-the-asphalt-of-Manhattan dependable to beryllium to this newsman helium was inactive among the living.

"I wanted you to perceive it from me," said Rangel.

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It was 2012. Rangel was retired due to the fact that of a backmost wounded and a viral infection, which made it hard for him to basal for agelong periods of time. From 2008 done precocious 2010, I dogged Rangel done the halls of Congress connected a regular ground arsenic the seasoned congressman grappled with an morals scandal. The morals lawsuit culminated successful the House censuring Rangel, permanently smudging his grounds arsenic a warfare hero, a founding subordinate of the Congressional Black Caucus and president of the Ways and Means Committee.

First elected to the House successful 1970, Rangel’s prima had dimmed aft the morals scandal. But successful 2012, immoderate accusation astir an elderly, legendary congressman similar Rangel was newsworthy. So, arsenic a newsman connected the Capitol Hill beat, I appreciated the telephone telephone arsenic helium described the excruciating symptom that beset him.

It’s imaginable the Ethics Committee probe and censure by the House were much agonizing for Rangel than the backmost problem. Rangel was truthful assured that helium didn’t interruption House rules that helium referred himself to the Ethics Committee.

Rangel's woes with the Ethics Committee mightiness arsenic good person been much achy for him than his backmost problems. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Rangel started to consciousness the morals vigor successful 2008. He utilized his presumption arsenic president of the Ways and Means Committee to solicit funds for a schoolhouse successful his sanction astatine City College of New York. He failed to study hundreds of thousands of dollars successful taxes oregon rental income connected a villa helium owned successful the Dominican Republic. 

A rent-controlled flat successful Harlem doubled arsenic a run office. He improperly parked his broken-down, 1972 metallic Mercedes-Benz successful the store of the Rayburn House Office Building. The House prohibits lawmakers from utilizing the store for storage. The Benz lacked plates, wasn’t registered and seemingly hadn’t been driven successful astir 4 years. A Falls Church, Virginia, towing institution lugged the car retired of the store connected Sept. 19, 2008.

Video of the tow-truck hauling distant the Mercedes-Benz from Rayburn would person made a juicy communicative the adjacent greeting connected TV. But Rangel caught a break.

Sort of.

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Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., summoned then-Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson to Capitol Hill that night. The U.S. system teetered connected the verge of an epic fiscal collapse. By nightfall, it was wide conscionable however atrocious the nation’s system was. Everyone temporarily forgot astir Rangel. In fact, the inoperable Benz whitethorn person been successful amended signifier than immoderate American car companies astatine that moment.

But the House Ethics Committee was investigating Rangel. An enquiry started successful 2009 and culminated successful his censure connected the House level successful 2010. The House voted 333-79 to subject Rangel. A somber Rangel presented himself successful the good of the House chamber, hands folded successful beforehand of him arsenic though helium were astir to person Communion. Pelosi doled retired her admonition from the dais and lightly rapped the gavel.

"He violated the nationalist trust," said then-Ethics Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.

It was the archetypal censure of a House subordinate successful 27 years.

Years aft the fact, I half-jokingly suggested that Rangel could blasted his Ethics Committee problems connected me. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Years later, I half-jokingly told Rangel that helium could blasted maine for his problems with the Ethics Committee.

As stated earlier, it was Rangel who believed his actions were beyond reproach. So helium sent himself earlier the Ethics Committee to reappraisal his conduct.

I entered the Capitol 1 greeting successful 2008 and discovered his longtime aide, Emile Milne, wandering the basement. I asked Milne what helium was looking for. He waived an overstuffed envelope astatine me.

"The Ethics Committee," said Milne.

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This was the existent "self-referral" to the Ethics Committee. And Milne was the courier of a dossier Rangel would usage to support himself.

I knew precisely wherever the Ethics Committee was located successful those days successful the Capitol catacombs. So I escorted Milne to the door.

As I said, I told Rangel helium could blasted each of his problems connected me.

I callback 1 lawsuit successful which Rangel, hounded by the press, fired backmost astatine them with his name, fertile and serial fig — the lone things a captive of warfare is obliged to provide. (Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

Between 2008 and 2010, I staked retired Rangel determination astatine the Capitol astir each day. The time Pelosi summoned him to her office. The time Pelosi removed him arsenic Ways and Means Committee chairman. The time helium spoke astatine magnitude connected the House level to support himself against the allegations aft the morals sheet formalized its inquiry.

One night, a scrum of reporters caught Rangel successful the hallway disconnected the House level and pelted him with a barrage of questions. Rangel concisely answered. Then deflected. He past decided helium had capable arsenic scribes fired questions astatine him with the velocity of a Gatling gun.

Rangel sighed, exasperated astatine what to do.

"Sergeant Charles B. Rangel. 85718162!" hollered Rangel. "And that’s each I’m going to accidental astir it!"

It’s unclear if the different reporters understood what conscionable happened. But I did.

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Rangel served successful the Army during the Korean War. He was wounded successful the backmost by shrapnel and yet led dozens of men retired of a firefight and to safety. Multiple soldiers died, and others were taken prisoner. Rangel received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with valor.

Rangel survived that day. But backmost connected Capitol Hill, the quality rhythm had efficaciously taken Rangel prisoner. So helium complied with the presumption of the Geneva Convention. A captive of warfare is lone compelled to supply force captors their name, fertile and serial number. And aft absorbing dense occurrence from the property corps, Rangel had lone 1 option.

It’s notable that idiosyncratic with Rangel’s military record and Army work passed distant connected Memorial Day.

Rangel, a decorated veteran, died connected Memorial Day. (Seth Wenig-Pool/Getty Images)

In August 2008, Rangel published his autobiography entitled "And I Haven’t Had a Bad Day Since." The publication chronicles however a precocious schoolhouse dropout joined the Army and was wounded connected the battlefield. Rangel chose to proceed — yet winding up successful Congress arsenic 1 of the astir important lawmakers of the past 50 years. But Rangel past faced 1 of the harshest punishments Congress could dole out. It outgo him his chairmanship and upended his reputation.

But Rangel was often philosophical astir his destiny and transgressions successful Congress. He argued that contempt the trouble, helium inactive hadn’t had a atrocious time since that fateful conflict successful Kunu-ri, Korea successful precocious 1950.

Back successful 2012, I whitethorn person been the lone 1 who noticed that Rangel was absent erstwhile helium was suffering from a backmost contented and viral infection.

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But I surely won’t beryllium the lone 1 today.