IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1396 
Raising a question of the privileges of the House. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 31, 2008 
Mr. BOEHNER submitted the following resolution; which was laid on the table 
RESOLUTION 
Raising a question of the privileges of the House. 
Whereas the representative from New York, Charles B. Ran-
gel, serves as chairman of the House Ways and Means 
Committee, a position of considerable power and influ-
ence within the House of Representatives; 
Whereas clause 1 of rule XXIII of the Rules of the House 
of Representatives provides that ‘‘A Member, Delegate, 
Resident Commission, officer, or employee of the House 
shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall 
reflect creditably on the House.’’; 
Whereas the New York Times reported on July 11, 2008, 
that, ‘‘While aggressive evictions are reducing the num-
ber of rent-stabilized apartments in New York, Rep-
resentative Charles B. Rangel is enjoying four of them, 
including three adjacent units on the 16th floor over-
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HRES 1396 LTH 
looking Upper Manhattan in a building owned by one of 
New York’s premier real estate developers.’’; 
Whereas the New York Times newspaper reported on July 
11, 2008, that Rep. Rangel, ‘‘paid a total rent of $3,894 
monthly in 2007 for four apartments at Lennox Terrace, 
a 1,700-unit luxury development of six towers, with door-
men, that is described in real estate publications as Har-
lem’s most prestigious address.’’; 
Whereas the New York Times newspaper reported on July 
11, 2008, that ‘‘The current market-rate rent for similar 
apartments in Mr. Rangel’s building would total $7,465 
to $8,125 a month, according to the Web site of the 
owner, the Olnick Organization.’’; 
Whereas clause 5(a)(2)(A) of rule XXV of the Rules of the 
House defines a gift as, ‘‘a gratuity, favor, discount, en-
tertainment, hospitality, loan, forbearance, or other item 
having monetary value.’’; 
Whereas clause 5 of rule XXV provides that a Member, Dele-
gate, or Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of 
the House may not knowingly accept a gift in violation 
of that clause; 
Whereas the New York Times newspaper reported on July 
18, 2008, ‘‘Mr. Rangel acknowledged that his use of one 
of the apartments as a campaign office ‘presents an 
issue,’ given that city and state guidelines require rent- 
stabilized apartments to be used as a primary resi-
dence.’’; 
Whereas section 2520.11(k) of the Rent Stabilization Code of 
the State of New York prohibits the application of rent 
stabilization to ‘‘housing accommodations which are not 
occupied by the tenant, not including subtenants or occu-
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HRES 1396 LTH 
pants, as his or her primary residence as determined by 
a court of competent jurisdiction.’’; 
Whereas in each of the years 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, 
the campaign committee of the representative from New 
York, Representative Rangel, known as ‘‘Rangel for Con-
gress’’ and by Federal Election Commission Identifica-
tion Number C00302422, made disbursements to the 
Lennox Terrace Development Association for payment of 
office rent; 
Whereas Olnick Organization, Inc. owns the Lennox Terrace 
Development; 
Whereas according to the State of New York, Department of 
State, Division of Corporations, the Olnick Organization, 
Inc., owner of Representative Rangel’s apartments, is an 
active domestic business corporation; 
Whereas section 441b(a) of title 2, United States Code, 
states that ‘‘it is unlawful for any national bank, or any 
corporation organized by authority of any law of Con-
gress, to make a contribution or expenditure in connec-
tion with any election to any political office, or in connec-
tion with any primary election or political convention or 
caucus held to select candidates for any political office, 
or for any corporation whatever, or any labor organiza-
tion, to make a contribution or expenditure in connection 
with any election at which presidential and vice presi-
dential electors or a Senator or Representative in, or a 
Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, Congress are to 
be voted for, or in connection with any primary election 
or political convention or caucus held to select candidates 
for any of the foregoing offices, or for any candidate, po-
litical committee, or other person knowingly to accept or 
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HRES 1396 LTH 
receive any contribution prohibited by this section, or any 
officer or any director of any corporation or any national 
bank or any officer of any labor organization to consent 
to any contribution or expenditure by the corporation, na-
tional bank, or labor organization, as the case may be, 
prohibited by this section.’’; 
Whereas Federal Election Commission records confirm that 
in 2004 Representative Rangel received $2,000 in cam-
paign contributions from Sylvia Olnick, an owner of 
Olnick Organization, Inc., the company that owns his 
apartment building, and that Representative Rangel’s 
separate political action committee also received $2,500 
donations from Ms. Olnick in 2004 and 2006; 
Whereas the New York Times newspaper reported on July 
11, 2008, ‘‘City records show that in 2005, a lobbyist for 
the Olnick Organization met with Mr. Rangel and Mr. 
Paterson, who was then the State Senate minority leader, 
as the company set out to win government approvals of 
a plan to expand Lenox Terrace and build another apart-
ment complex in the Bronx.’’; 
Whereas Representative Rangel’s acceptance of more than 
one rent-controlled apartment for his personal use is a 
violation of the House gift ban; 
Whereas Representative Rangel’s failure to disclose the afore-
mentioned gifts on his annual Personal Financial Disclo-
sure statements is a violation of House rules; 
Whereas the acceptance by Representative Rangel’s campaign 
of illegal corporate contributions from the Olnick Organi-
zation, Inc. violates Federal law; and 
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Whereas the failure by Representative Rangel’s campaign to 
disclose certain contributions from the Olnick Organiza-
tion, Inc. violates Federal law: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That— 
(1) by the conduct giving rise to this resolution 
the representative from New York, Representative 
Charles B. Rangel, has dishonored himself and 
brought discredit to the House and merits the cen-
sure of the House for same; and 
(2) the representative from New York, Mr. 
Rangel, is hereby so censured. 
Æ 
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