Alaska's crusty U.S. Rep. Don Young accepted "impermissible" gifts, took campaign dollars for personal use, and filed improper financial disclosure forms, but has received only a slap on the wrist from the House Ethics Committee.

The ethics panel found that the crusty Republican, in office since 1973, improperly used campaign funds on 15 trips to hunting lodges - Young is an enthusiastic moose hunter - and must repay $60,000 to his campaign fund.

But the Ethics Committee, in findings released Friday, gave Young only a "letter of reproval," its lowest form of reprimand. It could have recommended a reprimand, censure or expulsion from the House.

"The Ethics Committee found Rep. Young violated federal law and House rules by using campaign funds for personal use, by accepting gifts and by filing inaccurate personal financial disclosure, but did nothing other than a letter saying in effect, 'bad congressman'," said the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).

As I see it, Don Young deserves to be censured the same way that Charlie Rangel was censured.