It looks likes Rep. Charlie Rangel is surveying the battlefield that lies ahead as he faces the beginning of an adjudicatory hearing on ethics charges.

Embattled Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) and his attorney met in private Monday night with House Ethics Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) as the House prepared to launch a rare, public ethics inquiry on Thursday into alleged misdeeds by the New York Democrat. … Rangel sought closed-door counsel Monday night from Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), special assistant to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

“I think he’s in the process of trying to determine the best course forward,” said Van Hollen. “I was presenting him with my observations.”

When asked if he was giving advice to Rangel in either of his leadership capacities, Van Hollen was quick to note that his guidance was coming “as a friend.”