Rep. Charles Rangel’s ethics case is filled with suggestions of “pay to play,” with the Harlem Democrat personally hitting up corporate execs for big contributions for a self-named CCNY center — even as their firms lobbied him on tax and trade law, internal company documents show.
The honchos themselves weren’t always sure whether to favor a powerful ally with a donation or to steer clear of gifts that might not smell right, according to records obtained by the House ethics committee.
The extensive paper trail reveals the extraordinary intertwining of Rangel’s search for private funds for his center and legislative matters — one of the misconduct charges on which he was found guilty yesterday.
In one of the most striking examples, New York Life lobbyist George Nichols wrote another company exec:
“Thanks for discussing the Rangel Center with Sy [Sternberg, the company CEO]. I think we should do something for Rangel for reasons stated by [company exec] Sheila [Davidson]. Additionally, Rangel has been a friend of the company for 25+ years and yes we have contributed to his political causes. But, we also have benefited from his position, policy decisions and legislation.”
Another internal e-mail from the company gives a list of issues that Sternberg raised in a meeting with Rangel in March 2007.
“We got a full hour with Rangel . . . and the chemistry was terrific between the two men,” gushed a New York Life exec. “At one point, Rangel said he wanted to clone Sy.”
Sternberg then raised such hot issues as taxation of deferred compensation and trade deals with Peru and Colombia, which were being resisted by Democrats.
“Finally, Rangel made a big appeal for the private sector to step up and do more in terms of community investment, scholarships, health-care recommendations . . .”, said the e-mail.
Subsequent documents made public by the ethics panel make clear that the “investment” Rangel pushed hardest was a $30 million fund-raising drive for the “Charles B. Rangel Center” for public service at CCNY.
Rangel’s relentless push for funds hit a roadblock because the company had already given $10 million to a Colin Powell center at CCNY.
The CEO “continues to think that we should pass on this for now,” according to an e-mail from Christine Park, who headed the New York Life Foundation, the firm’s philanthropic arm.
On June 21, 2007, Park wrote Davidson and other execs:
“I spoke with Steve about the Rangel Policy Center at CCNY. As I understand it, Congressman Rangle [sic] was apparently with [lobbyist] George Nichols this week and mentioned it to him.”
That prompted Davidson to reply, “I think it should be revisited with Cy [sic] in light of the passage of time and Rangel’s ascent to the chair of the Ways and Means Committee.”
A memo from top Rangel aide George Dalley to CCNY fund-raiser Shelly Butler has the same gist.
“I believe we must be helped by the assumption of the chairmanship of the Committee on Ways and Means by Charlie and the wider platform it gives him to speak about the importance of education. The chairmanship enhances our audience in the corporate and philanthropic communities. Agree?”
Yesterday, the company told The Post, “The NY Life Foundation received a letter and neither NY Life nor the foundation made a contribution.”