A House ethics investigative subcommittee has charged Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) with ethics violations, and a separate group of members on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct will meet to judge the evidence.

The members of the adjudicatory panel, who by rule cannot have served on the investigative subcommittee, will "determine whether any counts in the Statement of Alleged Violation have been proved by clear and convincing evidence and to make findings of the fact," the committee announced this afternoon.

There will be an equal number of Democrats and Republicans on the panel.

Rangel stepped down in March as chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, shortly after the ethics committee admonished him for accepting free travel to the Caribbean. He was also under investigation by the committee for failing to disclose accurate financial information and other related matters.

The AP, reporting this afternoon, cited sources claiming that the "committee and Rangel's attorney attempted unsuccessfully to negotiate a settlement to end the case," which "would have required Rangel to agree that he violated ethics rules."

"It appears that Charlie Rangel will finally be judged by a jury of his peers," said Ken Spain, spokesman at the National Republican Congressional Committee, "but unfortunately for the Speaker, the verdict is already out on what she promised would be the 'most ethical congress in history.'"

A Democratic source told RCP that Republicans should hold off on using the issue as an attack line.

"If Washington Republicans want to have a debate on ethics, bring it on. Thanks to Jack Abramoff, there's a long line of Washington Republicans that are already in or soon will be in orange jump suits," the source said.

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