Four-member ethics panel named to investigate Traficant

Associated Press ^ | 4-17-02 | JANELLE CARTER

[Oldeconomybuyer]

WASHINGTON (AP) --

[A. Morgan]

Looks like Traficant is about to be BEAMED out, not up.

[Henchster]

"...and Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California will be the leading Democrat......John Lewis, D-Ga., also will serve on the panel...."

And their partisan defense of a fellow RAT will lead to a 2-2 split panel, and the cries of:

"This is another partisan witchhunt by the VRWC. It's just about bribery, can't we move on?"

[Cicero]

It has often been noted that there is a greater concentration of crooks and con artists in congress than in many jails. But since there is no honor among thieves, we can hope they will throw the bum out. A little hypocrisy never worried a congresscritter.

[Uff Da]

..........and Senator Torricelli is shining like a new penny.........no indictments for him....and no ethics panel breathing down his crooked throat! It doesn't pay to upset the PARTY BIGWIGS.....This Traficant thing smells of a Clinton payback.....

[AGreatPer]

Honest, sometimes I liked his brief speeches. And, sometimes I like the way he voted on the conservative side. However, a crook is a crook.

If he is ousted it will really shake up Stubenville, Ohio where he has looked the other way with Mafia goings on. OK mob, back to Wheeling, West Virginia.

mountaineer, just thought I should ping you on this. Therrrreee coming back.

[Jaidyn]

I hope Traficant is true to form and blabs on the rest of them. I would do my poor heart good to have him in the same cell as Clinton.

[rellimpank]

--you beat me to it by a few minutes. Torricelli makes Traficant look like an amateur--

[A. Morgan]

Below is the full transcript of that motion from Wisconsin Congressman James Sensenbrenner:

Statement of Honorable F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. of Wisconsin

Mr. Speaker, later today, I will introduce a resolution expelling the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Traficant) from the House of Representatives. Last week, a Federal Court jury in Cleveland
found Mr. Traficant guilty on all ten felony counts of a criminal indictment. Regretfully,
this resolution is necessary as Mr. Traficant foolishly rejected the call of the Minority
Leader to resign. Felons belong in jail and not in Congress. He has broken the public trust
by breaking the law and if he will not voluntarily leave this House, our duty is to remove him.

Throughout my tenure in the House, I have consistently taken the position that Members who have
been convicted of felonies should be expelled if they do not resign. In 1980, the House expelled
Michael Meyers of Pennsylvania after he refused to resign following conviction of Abscam related
felonies. At that time, I was a Member of the Ethics Committee which brought the expulsion
resolution to the floor.

In 1995, Walter Tucker of California was convicted, initially refused to resign, and changed his
mind after I introduced an expulsion resolution. The year before, news articles stated that Dan
Rostenkowski of Illinois was prepared to enter a plea bargain in which he would plead guilty to
at least one felony and not resign his seat in the House. I state that I would introduce
an expulsion resolution should such a plea agreement be reached, but it never was.

I would hope that the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant) will follow the example of Mr. Tucker
and save the House the need to debate once again whether felons should continue to serve in Congress.

[RckyRaCoCo]

Four-member ethics panel named to investigate Traficant

Just saw him on Gretta, now I see why they want to shut him up....he makes too much sense. As far as the illegalities...when it comes to politicians, it comes down to something to do with "...cast the first stone".