Ethics in politics?

Not many politicians are known for being ethical. It wasn't a huge surprise to most of us when Charlie Rangel was accused and convicted of some major ethics violations (taking vacations from donors, cheating on his taxes, using a rent-controlled apartnment for his campaign...) since we assume most politicians just haven't been caught yet.

What I found most interesting about this situation is that he then stole money from his campaign to pay for his defense lawyers! Then, when the money ran out and the lawyers quit, he complained that he was denied due-process and the right to an attorney. The man paid $2m for those attorneys and they didn't even stay for the trial! Sounds like someone got boondoggled.

Finally, Charlie Rangel decided to just walk out of the hearing and later stated that the results shouldn't be trusted because he wasn't even there.

We now have a new line of legal defense - I wasn't there to hear the verdict and therefore it can't be trusted! It is really that easy? I mean, I never heard in traffic court before that someone could just not show up and consider the judgement flawed. Or what if our violent offenders were somehow able to leave the court room during the trial, is the trial then invalid?

Poor Charlie - 40 years in government, making $174,000 in 2010, and he can't afford a lawyer. Man, times are tough.