Panel finds Representative Rangel’s trips broke congressional gift rules

While the panel did not find that the New York Democrat, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, knew about the corporate backing for the trips in 2007 and 2008, it concluded that members of his staff were aware and that he was therefore responsible. The committee said its report was intended to "serve as a public admonishment" of Rangel, and it ordered him to repay costs of the trips.

"They're saying that my staff -- at least two members -- did know [about the financing], and I should have known, and I'm being admonished for that," Rangel said before the report was released.