Ethics probes encircling Rep. Charles Rangel have earned him sympathy with voters, the embattled lawmaker said Wednesday.Rangel (D-N.Y.) expressed confidence he would retain his seat and win a 21st term given the sympathy, which emerged after he temporarily stepped down as chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means panel.
"My community [has supported me] beyond my expectations, not that I don't have enough ego to get by," he said on WNYW-TV's "Good Morning New York" program. "My community has put confidence in me and they want me to continue."
Rangel faces a primary challenge from Adam Clayton Powell IV, whose father once held Rangel's seat.
The Harlem congressman blamed the press for trumping up his ethics problems.
He gave up his chairmanship in March after the House ethics panel admonished him for violating rules for attending a corporate-backed trip. Rangel also faces scrutiny for not reporting $75,000 in earnings on his tax returns and for owning several rent-controlled apartments in Manhattan.