Breaking: Charlie Rangel Walks Out of Ethics Hearing

CNN is reporting that Rep. Charlie Rangel has walked out of his ethics committee hearing, scheduled to begin today, "complaining that he has not had sufficient time to hire a legal team." Politico reports that an "emotional" Rangel, who began the hearing without an attorney present, had threatened to walk out unless he had more time to raise money to hire counsel and asked for a postponement of his trial. The ethics committee then went into a private session to consider his request. UPDATED: The New York Times reports via their live blog that the hearing is continuing without Rangel and that "no further consideration" would be given to his request to postpone the trial.