Former New York City Congressman Charlie Rangel, a fixture on Capitol Hill and Democratic power player for nearly half a century, died Monday. He was 94.
Rangel, 94, was a Harlem political institution who spent his life in public service, from the Korean War to becoming the first African American to chair the influential House Ways and Means Committee.
His influence can still be felt today, said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who sits atop the Empire State’s political delegation in the House – a role long held by Rangel himself.
“The Lion of Lenox Ave was a transformational force of nature,” Jeffries wrote on X. “Harlem, NYC & America are better today because of his service.
“May he forever rest in power,” Jeffries said.
Rangel was first elected to Congress in 1970 after challenging civil-rights leader Adam Clayton Powell Jr. for his seat.
During his tenure, Rangel was part of the Gang of Four, a legendary political coalition from Harlem.
The four — Rangel, former Mayor David Dinkins, former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton and former state Sen. Basil Paterson — were a powerful political force centered in Upper Manhattan for years.
The City College of New York in Harlem — which named its school of public service after Rangel — posted a statement online announcing Rangel’s death on Memorial Day and deeming him a champion for his Big Apple constituents.
“He served for 23 terms in the House of Representatives and was cited as the most effective lawmaker in Congress, leading all of his colleagues in passing legislation,” the statement said.
In another online tribute, Big Apple businessman and supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis called Rangel “a symbol of Harlem, a fighter for justice, a skilled diplomat.
“We knew each other for more than 50 years,” Catsimatidis said. “Charlie was a Harlem youth. You couldn’t walk down a street without someone calling his name.”
Still, Rangel’s illustrious career was tarnished by an ethics scandal and accusations first reported by The Post.
Rangel had owned a beachfront village in a sunny Dominican Republic resort but failed to report his income from it.
The Post’s exposé included an infamous front-page photo of Rangel sleepily basking in the sun on the beach property.
A House panel convicted Rangel on ethics charges after a two-year investigation found he repeatedly broke rules, dodged taxes, concealed assets and misused his position to raise money for the City College center that bears his name.
Despite Rangel’s pleas for leniency, his House colleagues overwhelmingly voted to censure him – a rare step only taken 28 times in the legislative body’s more than 200-year history. The move involves a public vote of condemnation by the chamber, although those censured keep all of their powers as House members.
Rangel eventually retired from Congress in 2017.
Mayor Eric Adams on Monday joined the flood of tributes for Rangel, calling him “one of our city’s greatest elected leaders.
“I am so sad to lose a dear friend and exemplary model of devotion and courage,” Adams said in a statement. “My prayers are with his family, Harlem, and all who knew him.”
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is gunning for Adams’ job, characterized Rangel as a “giant in every sense.
“He taught me that leadership is about lifting others up, and in the face of injustice, you don’t flinch, you don’t fold — you fight,” the pugilistic Cuomo said in a statement.
State Sen. Cordell Cleare (D-Harlem) noted the Korean War vet Rangel’s oft-repeated mantra that he “never had a bad day since the war.
“His passing today, on Memorial Day, at 5 a.m., is both poignant and painful and yet somewhat befitting in a historical way,” Cleare said in a statement.
“Charlie was a brave soldier in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, earning a Purple Star and a Bronze Star for his fearless achievements, such as saving fellow soldiers. This would have been his day.”
Even some New York leaders who had at best complicated relationships with Rangel chimed in with praise.
The Rev. Al Sharpton – who, as with Rangel, was arrested in 1999 while protesting the police shooting of Amadou Diallo – often found himself at political cross purposes to the Harlem legislator. But Monday, he praised Rangel as an “unshakable force in American politics.”
“I first met Charlie as a teenager, and for over fifty years, he remained a constant presence in my life and in the fight for our community,” Sharpton said in a statement.
– Additional reporting by Vaughn Golden
