Rangel pays $10,800 in back taxes

Rep. Charles Rangel wrote six checks for about $10,800 in back taxes and then penned an open letter to New Yorkers on Friday, saying he has done nothing dishonorable and is the target of a GOP "guerrilla war." Rangel (D-Harlem) has faced a string of embarrassing revelations - he didn't pay taxes on rental income for a Dominican Republic beach house; he used three rent-stabilized apartments in Harlem, including one for a campaign office; he used his congressional stationery to try to drum up private donations to a college center named after him. He ended up writing checks for taxes due on his 2004, 2005, and 2006 returns, related to the rental income, said his chief of staff, George Dalley. The federal government tab was $4,803, according to Rangel's accountants. He wrote checks totaling $6,022 to New York State, a figure that includes a small percentage owed to New York City. Penalties and interest were not included in the payments, Dalley said.