It has been reported that a congressional panel has accepted a recommendation that a reprimand be issued against Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N. Y., for violating House rules or federal law.

The New York Times reported on Friday that house ethics investigators had recommended the reprimand, considered a moderate punishment, more serious than the minor sanction of admonishment but not especially severe.

A subcommittee of the House Ethics Committee that included Reps. Gene Green, D-Texas, Jo Bonner, R-Ala., Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Michael McCaul, R-Texas, decided against sterner action, which could have included censure or expulsion.

It was also reported that among other things, Rangel is accused of soliciting donations to the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at City College of New York from businesses appearing before the House Ways and Means Committee when he was its chairman; using a rent-controlled apartment in Harlem for his campaign office; failing to include more than $600,000 on his financial disclosure report; and failing to pay taxes on rental income from a villa he owns in the Dominican Republic.

The Washington Post further reported that Green said no deal had been reached with Rangel to avoid a trial.

According to The Hill, Rangel said the ethics panel violated his constitutional rights by not giving him enough time to rebut the 13 charges against him.

It has further been reported that an investigative subcommittee of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct Thursday submitted the allegations, including charges that Rangel's conduct discredited the chamber. The charges were announced after efforts to reach a settlement failed. (With Inputs from Agencies)