Which of the liberals on the thread will jump in to defend this jewel of the democratic party?
"Ohio Rep. Traficant Found Guilty of Corruption
Thu Apr 11, 7:01 PM ET
By Jay Miller
CLEVELAND (Reuters) - A jury convicted nine-term U.S. Rep. James Traficant of Ohio on bribery, corruption and racketeering charges on Thursday following a raucous trial during which prosecutors said he extorted money routinely from his constituents and staff.
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James Traficant Corruption Case
The flamboyant Democratic congressman and former sheriff, who defended himself during the trial even though he is not a lawyer, was found guilty in U.S. District Court in Cleveland of all 10 counts in an indictment that accused him of running his office as a racketeering enterprise.
He had successfully defended himself in a 1983 bribery trial that ended in his acquittal.
The 10-woman, two-man jury deliberated for nearly four days following a nine-week trial. After his conviction, Traficant, 60, was subdued and appeared contrite compared to his often-boisterous behavior during the trial.
"I accept the verdict," Traficant said. "What the government has asked for the government has gotten."
Topped with a crown of disheveled hair and attired in bright polyester clothing, Traficant is known for his frequent one-minute speeches on the House of Representatives floor in which he makes outrageous comments about a variety of subjects. He often concludes his ramblings on the House floor with his signature sign-off, "Beam me up!"
Traficant faces up to 63 years in prison -- though he could receive a considerably lighter sentence -- and possible ouster from the House by his colleagues, which has taken place only once since the U.S. Civil War. Sentencing was set for June 27.
The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, better known as the ethics committee, announced in a one-line statement that it would meet to consider initiating disciplinary proceedings against Traficant. It did not say when the meeting would take place or give any other details.
RESIGNATION DEMANDED
The top House Democrat called for Traficant to step down.
"In light of the gravity of the charges outlined in the guilty verdict against Mr. Traficant, I think the prudent course of action would be an immediate resignation," House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri said in a statement.
During the trial, Traficant loudly accused U.S. District Court Judge Lesley Wells of being biased and charged that government prosecutors were conducting a baseless vendetta against him.
Wells frequently lectured Traficant about proper court procedure and refused to let several of his witnesses testify because she ruled their testimony irrelevant, leading him once to storm out of the courtroom.
The jury found Traficant guilty of demanding kick-backs from the salaries of some of his congressional staffers, accepting bribes for lobbying, using staff members to perform menial work on his horse farm and filing false tax returns.
Prosecutors asked the jury to order him to repay ill-gotten gains totaling $139,000 -- an amount that Traficant disputed without offering a figure of his own.
Prosecution witnesses included members of Traficant's staff and businessmen who sought his help.
Allen Sinclair, a lawyer from Youngstown hired by Traficant, said that every month for 13 months ending in January 2000 he either handed the congressman an envelope stuffed with $2,500 cash or placed one on the congressman's desk at his district office.
A businessman testified he performed repairs on Traficant's boat in exchange for Traficant lobbying on his behalf.
Traficant said there were no videotapes or fingerprints linking him to any bribes, and accused various arms of the government of conspiring against him. He said the tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service (news - web sites) was after him because of legislation he backed restricting the agency's ability to seize property.
In his opening statement, Traficant said that "the evidence will show I made tremendous enemies" in the government.
Traficant insisted outside of court that prosecutors and the FBI (news - web sites) had been after him since 1983 when he won acquittal on bribery charges while he served as county sheriff in Youngstown, Ohio, the core of his blue-collar district. The district was eliminated after the last U.S. census, though Traficant has vowed to run again as an independent.
Traficant often irritates Democratic leaders by crossing party lines and voting with Republicans -- even backing Illinois Republican Dennis Hastert for House Speaker last year over Gephardt, his party's leader.
Under House rules, the ethics committee must automatically start an investigation when a House member is convicted of a felony. A bipartisan four-member panel will review the case, a process that Gephardt said would begin "expeditiously."
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