Congressman Charlie Dent today called on Democratic Congressional Candidate Siobhan Bennett to renounce the endorsement she received from ethically challenged Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel and return the donation he sent to her campaign.

As reported in the national press, Rangel has a host of ethical charges lined up against him. Rangel reportedly rented four Harlem apartments at reduced cost and used one for a campaign office, allegedly in violation of New York law. It has since been discovered that he has failed to report twenty years’ worth of rental income from an offshore rental property he owns either on his state and federal tax forms or on his Congressional financial disclosure. The New York Times also reported he received an interest-free mortgage for the beachfront property. Through it all, Rangel refuses to step down as chairman of the powerful committee that, among other things, writes the tax code.

Rangel donated $2,000 to Bennett’s campaign and he is listed on her Web page as an endorser.

“Charlie Rangel’s ethical lapses are extremely serious, and Sam Bennett clearly counts him among her friends in Washington,” Dent campaign manager Shawn Millan said. “By taking Rangel’s money and proudly proclaiming his endorsement, Bennett obviously sees nothing wrong in her association with one of the most entrenched power brokers in Congress -- someone who doesn’t think the rules apply to him; someone who would raise your taxes while he doesn’t pay his own.”

“Washington does need change – and people like Sam Bennett’s endorser and benefactor Charlie Rangel are the reason why,” said Congressman Dent’s campaign manager, Shawn Millan.

Millan explained that the Dent campaign was issuing the following challenges to Bennett:

1. Return any Rangel campaign contributions she has received either from his campaign committee or from his leadership PAC.
2. Remove Rangel’s name from her list of endorsers.
3. Publicly call for Rangel to step down from his Chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee.

In Bennett’s commercials, she claims to oppose “more of the same” from Washington. “Unless she follows through and renounces Rangel and returns his contribution it’ll be yet another example that Sam is the same,” said Millan.