Rangel Solicits Money to Pay for His Legal ExpensesRangel Solicits Money to Pay for His Legal Expenses

Rep. Charlie Rangel, the New York Democrat who was formally censured by the House earlier this month for ethics violations, has created a legal defense fund to help pay for the bills he accumulated over the two-year congressional investigation of him. The money also could be used to fend off future legal challenges, Politico reports.

“I have received authorization from the Committee on Standards and Official Conduct to begin raising funds for the Charles Rangel Legal Expense Trust, which I have sought to create so I can retain counsel for on-going activities related to the recently-concluded ethics investigations and other on-going matters,” Rangel says in a statement.

Donors can give up to $5,000 a year, and Rangel’s team is requesting gifts before the end of the calendar year. All contributions have to be reported quarterly to the ethics committee and to the Legislative Resource Center.