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Tax Author Rangel Owes IRS $5,000

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The Associated Press

Published: September 11, 2008

WASHINGTON - The head of the House tax-writing committee admitted Wednesday that he owes about $5,000 to the Internal Revenue Service for failing to report income on his returns.

Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., asked colleagues to let the ethics panel investigate and urged Republican foes to stop trying to get him ousted from his post.

As House Ways and Means Committee chairman, Rangel has a powerful say over tax law changes.

By his own admission, he has no excuse for not reporting years worth of rental income on a beach vacation property he owns in the Dominican Republic.

"Mistakes. We all make 'em. We all have to say we're sorry, but we all don't have to attack each other," Rangel said.

House debate over the matter turned personal when he said GOP leader John Boehner did not really have his heart in it when he and other top Republicans called for Rangel to be removed as chairman.

Boehner, R-Ohio, then rose to deny that claim.

"My intent here is not to claw at my friend from New York. My intent here is to have justice and to have all of us live by the rules of the House.

"I'm sorry that I had to do it but I have a job to do on behalf of my colleagues," Boehner said.

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