With senior Congressional Black Caucus members Reps. Maxine Waters and Charlie Rangel facing charges of ethics violations, experts and political pundits are trying to make sense of the allegations and how they will impact this fall’s midterm elections.

Frank Gilliam, dean of the UCLA School of Public Affairs and a professor of political science, said last week that the claims surrounding both elected officials “will contribute to the narrative that government is broken, politicians are more interested in lining their pockets and therefore more government is bad.”

“It’s pretty clear that the Democrats would prefer these incidences went away,” he added.

The House Ethics Committee has charged that Waters, a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, sought federal assistance for a bank with financial ties to her husband, Sidney Williams. Waters is said to have helped arrange a meeting in September 2008 between OneUnited Bank and Treasury Department officials.

According to the House Ethics Committee, OneUnited Bank ultimately received $12 million in bail-out funds.

A preliminary report said Waters called then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and requested that Treasury Department officials meet with representatives from the National Bankers Association, which represents over 100 minority-owned banks, including OneUnited Bank.

The meeting, said the report, took place, however the topic of conversation focused on OneUnited. Waters’ husband was a board member from 2004-2008 and was a stockholder in the bank at the time of the meeting and had two investments valued at up to $1 million.

As a result, a House ethics investigative panel has charged Waters with three counts of violating House rules and she may now face a trial by committee members — made up of both Democrats and Republicans — who will determine whether congressional rules were broken.

Waters said in an Aug. 2 statement that she has “not violated any House rules” and “that in advocating on behalf of minority banks neither my office nor I benefited in any way, engaged in improper action or influenced anyone.”

The 10-term Democrat added that the “frivolous and unfounded” accusations may stem from her advocacy on behalf of minority communities and businesses.

Waters contends the National Bankers Association requested a meeting with Treasury Department officials, and that the conference was scheduled on behalf of NBA, not OneUnited.

Additionally, Waters said she did not attend the meeting or participate in the conversation, but noted that in a follow up letter written by the NBA, the organization discussed concerns about the fiscal health of all of its members. Furthermore, she said, the meeting resulted in no action.

Rather, OneUnited Bank official Kevin Cohee applied for Troubled Asset Relief Program funds — which at the time of the meeting were non-existent — weeks later. This later resulted in the bank receiving millions in bail-out federal funds.

Waters’ chief of staff, Mikael Moore, who is also her grandson, argued that e-mails from leading TARP official Neel Kashkari to Treasury aides signal that Waters had no role in securing bail-out funds for OneUnited.

Sandra Thomas, former director of the Federal Depository Insurance Corporation, also released statements that Waters was not involved in OneUnited’s receipt of a tax-waiver that led to it getting TARP funds.

“The OCE has drawn negative inferences where there are none,” Waters said, “and twisted facts to fit its faulty conclusions.”

These same sentiments were expressed again Aug. 13, when Waters held a press conference at the U.S Capitol Visitor Center regarding the ethics matter pending before the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. Waters delivered an opening speech, while Moore presented a PowerPoint presentation with key facts, public records and official documents.

Waters would not comment on whether race played a role in her and fellow Democrat, Rangel, being sought after for ethics violations charges, as has been suggested by some critics.

None of the experts or political pundits contacted by The Wave could be certain whether race is a factor, but few ruled out the possibility.

“I think we have a tendency to look too often from a micro standpoint. I think that there are other considerations that we might not be aware of,” said Celes King III, president of the Congress of Racial Equality of California. “But to some degree there may very well be a percentage of race card involvement here, however, much may have to do with Washington politics and the fact that [Waters] is powerful, has a lot of political influence and has been an advocate for minority communities. There are several people who would like to see her go down and this may very well be the vehicle that they use to attempt to do it.”

Rangel, former chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, is being accused of 13 violations of House rules, stemming from alleged financial misconduct — including soliciting money, living in four rent-controlled apartments in Harlem and failure to disclose property on taxes.

Unlike Waters’ case, “where she did it for her people … and wanted to make sure that African-Americans got a reasonable degree of representation and that their banks were given an opportunity to survive,” King III said, “there was a lot of self-aggrandizement” on behalf of Rangel.

In any event, Gilliam said, interest groups typically request aid from lawmakers, and even schmooze — paid dinners, trips and events —them to get their and their members needs met. Those methods, he added, has become synonymous with politics.

“It is interesting that they [the ethics committee] chose to focus on Waters and Rangel,” he added. “It’s hard to believe that there are not a lot of other members who have been in similar circumstances.”

Rangel denied the allegations during a speech to fellow lawmakers last Tuesday inside the House chamber. According to Rangel, he made a few “stupid” mistakes but his intent was not to be corrupt.

Both trials could take place in September, weeks before midterm elections. However, Clinton Bailey, executive director of the Black American Political Association of California, is doubtful the trials would be scheduled around the elections, adding that in his opinion, both Republicans and Democrats would rather focus their efforts on campaigning.

The allegations, he said, already have legs and are damaging enough to sway voters who have had less confidence in Black elected officials over the years and are even less satisfied with the performance of President Barack Obama. The latter opinion, he added, can be seen in recent public opinion polls.

“This damages their credibility,” said Bailey, who added that long-term elected officials may not be as impacted as those who have either served short-term or have not served at all but are vying for a seat. “People don’t care about the facts. … The fact that these are senior members with a lot of power is definitely going to erode Black power within Congress if they are successful in removing these members, even if they are replaced by other Blacks. They will not assume the positions of power that Rangel and Waters have. And at a time where the country is shaky and confidence in the new president has wavered, there is no net gain.”

But Ange-Marie Hancock, UCLA associate professor of political science, believes hard-core Democrats are less likely to pull away from their party and elected officials; rather it is the independent voter they must worry about because they have no deep-seated loyalties to any political party.

“I do think that this is something to be concerned about with regard to the timing of this report,” she said.

While Rangel noted at the House meeting that by not having a trial date scheduled, it could hurt his chances in the primaries next month, and possible re-election in November, King III does not believe the allegations will be enough to force Waters out of her seat or hurt her chances of re-election. King III contends Waters has a loyal base of constituents and has swept past elections with ease.

Instead, Hancock said, the charges may backfire on Republicans who see this as a vehicle to get more members of their party into office. If the African-American community sees the attacks as racially motivated, she said, it could cause many from the community to display their unwavering support by showing up in large numbers to the polls.

“When there is a collective threat or there is a perception of racism, I think African-Americans come together and stand their ground. I think this would help Waters gain the election,” she said. “… But it could also impact the governor’s election and the Senate race.”