By Jonathan Allen

Republicans think Texas Rep. Mike McCaul’s the perfect guy to lead their side as New York Rep. Charlie Rangel’s ethics case moves into its next phase on Thursday.

That’s because McCaul, who will be on the Rangel adjudicatory committee, has an extensive background in law enforcement –
including anti-corruption efforts – at the state and federal levels.

Before coming to Congress, he worked as chief of counterterrorism in the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Western District of Texas – along the American border with Mexico – and he was a state deputy attorney general under current Sen. John Cornyn.

But his most relevant experience is the stint he served battling corruption as a prosecutor in the Justice Department’s public integrity unit.

“It gives him unique perspective,” fellow Texas Republican Kevin Brady said of McCaul’s resume.

The top Republican on ethics, Rep. Jo Bonner of Alabama, spent his career as a congressional aide and doesn’t have a law degree.

He said McCaul’s qualifications made him a natural pick for the job, which Bonner couldn’t take under ethics rules because he served on the subcommittee that investigated Rangel.

“This was one time where I thought it was very valuable to have someone of his background and experience, as opposed to a former Hill staffer,” Bonner said.

McCaul’s wife is the daughter of Clear Channel Communications founder Lowry Mays, and the congressman routinely ranks among the wealthiest members of the House with an estimated net worth in the tens of millions of dollars each year.

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