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Charlie Rangel held his third press conference in as many days, putting on an optimistic air about the ethics inquiry into him, the charges resulting from of which will be publicly released Thursday.

Before handing out scholarship awards to about a dozen local students, Rangel spoke to reporters in his Harlem office building:

“Well, we waited almost two years and they finally investigated and guess what? They have some more alleged violations.”

Rangel did not elaborate, but seemed to be refering to a number of alleged violations have been reported in the press but were not among the ones Rangel forwarded to Congress for review. They include abandoning a car in a congressional parking lot, getting a tax-break for a donor who gave money to a school he was fund-raising for, and receiving a tax break for those who make their primary residence in Washington.

When asked, Rangel said he did not feel “singled out” because of his race. He also rebuffed the premise of another reporters’ question who asked if the long-time congressman felt dismayed that Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and outgoing Governor Paterson have not committed to attending his August 11^th birthday fundraiser.

“I don’t believe what you’re saying is true, nor do I believe you have any evidence to substantiate that, based on my conversations with people during the weekend,” Rangel said. “Now, let's get on with it,” he said, referring to the distribution of scholarship awards.

Later, after a three-piece band struck up some uplifting jazz music and Rangel mingled with the recipients, he expressed optimism that his friends in the Democratic party will rally around him, despite press reports to the contrary.

Specifically, Rangel was asked about Senator Chuck Schumer seemingly expressing something less than full-throttled support for Rangel. In a statement released this weekend, a Schumer spokesperson is quoted as saying "The senator is going to give Congressman Rangel a chance to get his case out there before coming to any judgment."

“[Senator Charles] Schumer has been my buddy for many many years. And just because somebody can think of a question doesn’t mean that I’m going to respond to it,” Rangel said.