Rangel v. Boehner, No. 14-5012 (D.C. Cir. 2015)
Annotate this CaseRepresentative Charles Rangel filed suit challenging his 2010 censure by the United States House of Representatives as a violation of the House Rules and the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause. Rangel sued the former Chair, Ranking Member and Republican Members of the House Ethics Committee; the former Chief Counsel and two Committee staffers; and the current Speaker and Clerk of the House. The district court granted defendants' motion to dismiss, concluding that Rangel lacked Article III standing, the complaint presented a nonjusticiable political question, and defendants were immune from suit under the Speech and Debate Clause. The court concluded that defendants' actions fall comfortably within the scope of the Speech or Debate Clause and they enjoyed legislative immunity in this case. Accordingly, the court affirmed the district court's decision on this ground and did not consider Rangel's remaining arguments.
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