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At the end of June Richard Hanna's campaign for U.S. Congress charged that incumbent Michael Arcuri voted several times to save Rep. Charles Rangel, D-Harlem, the former chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. He said Arcuri voted against censuring Rangel in July 2008, and that Arcuri said he was "withholding judgment" on 13 charges of ethical violations committed by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-Harlem.

"Excuse me, Mr. Arcuri, but serving in Congress is a privilege and not a right," Hanna said. "Mr. Rangel has given up that privilege."

But Arcuri's camp immediately struck back, accusing Hanna of misleading voters. 


"There's clearly no limit to the lengths Richard Hanna will go to mislead the public," said Arcuri spokesperson Carolyn Ehrlich. "Last week, Hanna tried to mislead voters about his position on natural gasdrilling and hydrofracking with comments that completely contradicthis personal financial holdings and statements made during the 2008campaign.  This week, Hanna is trying to take credit for Arcuri's call for Rangel's resignation with more political tricks. Where will he draw the line?"

Hanna accused Arcuri of accepting $23,000 from Rangel in 2006 and 2007, which Hanna says Arcuri reluctantly gave back in March 2010.  He also says Arcuri and Rangel sought federal funding for the same projects, including $900,000 in pork for a Herkimer County group that falsely identified itself as a nonprofit organization.

Ehrlich said that Arcuri is the first member of the New York Congressional Delegation to call for Rangel to resign.  In addition, Arcuri was the first member to call on Rangel to step down as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee earlier this year and donate all campaign contributions from Rangel to charity.

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