Rep. Charles Rangel was censured last Thursday after a 333-79 vote by the U.S. House of Representatives. His fellow Queens politicians did not vote for the censure. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Despite getting the support of the Queens congressional delegation, the U.S. House voted 333 to 79 last Thursday to censure U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Astoria) for improperly soliciting donations, improperly using a rent-stabilized apartment and tax evasion.

In a statement following the vote, Rangel looked to the future. He spoke not about the decision, but said he wanted to get back to work improving job creation, education and health care and bringing the troops back home.

“Now that the Ethics proceedings have passed, I will put the pain behind me as well,” Rangel said. “I will focus on lessening the pain of the American people during these challenging times in our country.”

In the vote to censure, 333 representatives voted for it and 79 representatives voted against. Every other Queens representative — Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside), Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights), Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria), Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills), Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) and Nydia Velazquez (D-Ridgewood) – voted against censure.

This is the first time this formal process of rebuke by the House has been used since 1983.

In November, Weiner said he was unsure how he would vote in the censure, but pointed out that Rangel had served his country.

“I think this is a sad day for him and a sad day for Congress,” Weiner said on Nov. 22, after the committee concluded he was guilty of ethics violations.

The House Ethics Committee report said it recommended that he be censured based on the congressman’s improper solicitation of donations for the Rangel Center for Public Service that he worked to set up at the City College of New York, his use of a rent-stabilized apartment for campaign committees and his filing of inaccurate Financial Disclosure Statements and federal tax returns.

While representatives have been censured in the past for improperly using money, such as former Rep. Charles Wilson, a California Democrat who was censured in 1980 for improperly using campaign funds and accepting funds from an individual with interest in legislation, the report said Rangel deserved censure because of the cumulative nature of the violations.

“The committee concluded that the 11 violations committed by Rep. Rangel on a continuous and prolonged basis were more serious in character, meriting a strong congressional response rebuking his behavior,” the report stated.

The committee report recommended Rangel pay restitution and provide proof of payment to the committee.

Censure does not bring any legal consequences, but is a form of public shaming by the House, and the first action below expulsion. It is a more serious charge than a reprimand, which is not done in public. Only 22 other representatives have been censured in the history of the House.

Crowley said in a statement he believed a reprimand was more appropriate for Rangel’s wrongdoings, given the historical precedents for censure. In the past censure has been used against House members for supporting the confederacy, involvement in the Credit Mobilier of America scandal in the late 1800s and having sex with House pages.

“Charlie Rangel is a dedicated public servant who has served the nation and the people of New York with distinction, both as a war hero and longstanding member of Congress. He’s not perfect, though, and deserves to be reprimanded for his transgressions,” Crowley said.

For the borough’s congressional races, the union has backed incumbent U.S. Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside), Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills), Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria) and Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) for their reelection campaigns. However, the union did not give an endorsement to U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) or his Republican opponent Asher Taub.

For state Senate races, DC 37 backed state Senators Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica), Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) and Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) for their reelection bids, but did not issue endorsements in the races of incumbents Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights), Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) or Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), or in the race to replace George Onorato (D-Astoria), in which Assemblyman Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) is running unopposed.

The union also gave endorsements to several state Assembly candidates including incumbents Audrey Pheffer (D-Rockaway Beach), David Weprin (D-Little Neck), Margaret Markey (D-Maspeth) and Jeffrion Aubry (D-Corona), as well as candidate Francisco Moya, who is facing Hiram Monserrate in a Democratic primary for the 39th Assembly District seat that was vacated by state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights). The winner of that primary will face Republican Humberto Suarezmotta.

The union did not make endorsements in several Assembly races, including District 26, where there is a Republican candidate and a crowded Democratic primary field vying to replace departing Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza; District 28, currently held by Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills), who is facing Joe Fox in a Democratic primary and a Republican opponent, Alex Powietrzynski; District 34, where incumbent Barbara Clark (D-Queens Village) is being challenged in a Democratic primary by Clyde Vanel; District 37, in which incumbent Cathy Nolan (D-Ridgewood) is facing a Republican challenger, John Malone; and District 38, where incumbent Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven) faces a Democratic primary with Nick Comaianni and Republican opponent Donna Marie Caltabiano.

Representatives for DC 37 were not available to comment Friday on why they declined to endorse candidates in certain Queens races.

U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel speaks to reporters in New York about his upcoming ethics trial before the House. AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Sunnyside) will face a trial before the House Ethics Committee to determine whether he violated ethics rules following a House panel’s recent investigation.

The congressman, 80, who was first elected to the House in 1971, has been accused of accepting four rent-stabilized apartments in Manhattan as well as improperly using his office to raise money for an educational institute in his name at City College in Manhattan.

In a statement released Friday, Rangel said he would be glad to be able to respond to allegations from the House Ethics Committee when they are made public.

“I am pleased that, at long last, sunshine will pierce the cloud of serious allegations that have been raised against me in the media,” the statement read.

The Ethics Committee will refer the allegations reviewed by an investigation subcommittee to a subcommittee, which will review the facts. The committee is expected to release its findings Thursday, at which trial proceedings would begin.

Rangel covers a small sliver of Sunnyside with no residences as well as part of Rikers Island, along with Harlem and other parts of Manhattan.

He will face four opponents in the September Democratic primary, including state Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV (D-Manhattan), banker Vince Morgan, activist Jonathan Tasini and Joyce Johnson.