SINCE its inception in 2009, the United States Office of Congressional Ethics has investigated 10 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, prompting the caucus to allege racial profiling.

It’s a concern which is quite plausible since the widespread practice in the US is documented beyond doubt.

The latest investigations are of Democrats — Representatives Charles Rangel and Maxine Waters — who have both served over 30 years in the Congress.

Every time a Black American becomes politically powerful, there seems to be an organised ‘takedown’ to remove or discredit him or her.

Recall Mr Mike Espey who was ruined as secretary of agriculture because he accepted two tickets to a sporting event. Congressmen Bill Gray and Kweisi Mfume suddenly demitted office under a cloud at the height of their power.

The taking down extends to prominent African-American males in sports and entertainment. Boxer Ruben Carter, despite not being anywhere near the scene of the crime, was sent to prison for many years.

The most notorious case was the campaign of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Edgar Hoover against Martin Luther King Jr, ironic given Hoover’s own questionable private life.

The attempt at taking down Congressman Rangel after his 40 years of service, derives as much from racism as from the fact that Democrats from predominantly Black districts tend to stay in Congress for so long that they become chairmen of powerful committees….and the target of Republicans and Southern “Blue Dog” Democrats.

Mr Rangel’s problem was that his seniority made him chairman of the all-powerful Ways and Means Committee. Rangel’s difficulties have been caused by lax accounting and poor record-keeping. He has already had to give up his chairmanship and is fighting to salvage his reputation. Legal fees for this kind of defence will run into several million dollars.

Whatever the outcome of the House trial, Mr Rangel will have been subjected to a political lynching. We are obliged to register our respect for him and appreciation for his contribution which extends far beyond his district in New York to Africa and the Caribbean.

It has been invaluable to the small states of the Caribbean to have the support of a Congressman of Rangel’s seniority and influence. He has been an advocate for the Caribbean from the mid-1970s and he found time to continue this interest even after becoming chair of the Ways and Means Committee.

During these years he was instrumental in accomplishing the Caribbean Basin Initiative, development aid, humanitarian assistance, the fight against narcotics trafficking and the Haiti Economic Lift Programme.

His leadership on pertinent issues has been vital for a region where US attention has been episodic. Mr Rangel has consistently asserted the importance of the Caribbean as neighbours who share a partnership for democracy, prosperity and peace.

In recognition of his leadership, the governments and people of the Caribbean have bestowed on him many honours, notably one from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) which has only ever been awarded to heads of state.

The Ethics Committee of our own House of Representatives is a political token that has no powers similar to that in the US House. What little power it can muster has been stymied by political tribalism in the same way that the US House Ethics Committee has been derailed by rabid political partisanship.