Rep. Traficant Accused Of Misconduct (wants a public forum for the hearing on these counts)

AP ^ | Friday June 28, 2002 1:30 AM | AP

[WakeUpChristian]

Rep. Traficant Accused Of Misconduct

Friday June 28, 2002 1:30 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House ethics committee issued a 10-count set of violations Thursday against convicted Rep. Jim Traficant and set a public hearing for next month.

The charges allege that the Ohio lawmaker engaged in a ``continuing pattern and practice of official misconduct,'' including acceptance of kickbacks, encouraging the destruction of evidence, defrauding the United States and filing false income tax returns.

The panel said it would hold a public hearing on July 15 to determine whether any of the charges ``have been proven by clear and convincing evidence.''

Pending the outcome of that hearing, the action moved the committee closer to recommendation of a punishment for Traficant, possibly including expulsion from the House.

As part of an unusual, informal agreement, the Ohio lawmaker has not has appeared on the House floor since his conviction on bribery and racketeering charges in April. In exchange, critics have refrained from seeking his immediate expulsion.

Traficant, serving his ninth term from the area around Youngstown, faces up to 63 years in prison at a court sentencing set for July 30.

A judge this week rejected Traficant's request for a new trial, and a former aide pleaded guilty to a single count of perjury for lying to a grand jury when he denied giving kickbacks to the lawmaker. Henry DiBlasio, 72, who worked for Traficant from 1985-1998, could get up to 16 months in prison.

Trafican't district was eliminated as the result of congressional redistricting in Ohio this spring, but he has announced plans to seek a new term as an independent in a newly redrawn seat.

The committee's alleged violations of ethics rules are based on the testimony and evidence at Traficant's trial in Cleveland, and members of an investigative subcommittee noted they decided not to launch a time-consuming investigation into other potential violations of House rules.

Trfaficant's spokesman, Charles Straub, said, ``It's quite clear that the ethics committee has relied quite heavily on the trial transcripts and it's now up to them to decide what the next step is.''

He said Traficant ``wants a public forum for the hearing on these counts.''

[kellynla]

I refuse to give him a public forum until he buys a new rug...

[Catspaw]

He may well get a public forum for the ethics complaint, but he may not be there. It really depends on his warden.

[Slyfox]

I refuse to give him a public forum until he buys a new rug...

[meyer]

ONe of the primary reasons I always read a Traficant thread is that someone will inevitably show that picture. That picture is great.

[witnesstothefall]

What a riot. The article fails to identify this crook's party. That's how you know he's a Democrat.

[rmmcdaniell]

[brat]

This is a wise move on his part. Since the Judge disallowed most of his evidence, it might be an opportunity to have it exposed to public scrutiny.

[Travelgirl]

Traficant is one of the better Congressmen/women in DC. He tells it like it is; unlike 99% of the rest. He did NOT let them blackmail him into being silent like even some Republicans did. He didn't sell the country out to China and he had the guts to tell us who did. Yet, most of us just make fun of his hair. Remember how we critized the media for making fun of Linda Tripp's appearance? Yet, we do the same thing over and over when it comes to Traficant.

If more in Congress had told the truth like he did, clinton would be the one going to jail.

I hope he wins his election as an Independent. There are far worse criminals in Congress than Traficant.

[AntiScumbag]

Traficant is one of the better Congressmen/women

well, everything is relative, isn't it?

instead of selling us out to china, he has a long history of selling himself out, usually to the mob, always for cash

while the occassional grain of truth falls from his lips, and he is the funniest guy on the hill, and we'll miss his one-minute gems, the guy is crooked and corrupt

for over 20 years he's been wallowing in payola from mahoning county's mob guys and mobbed-up unions, and he finally got convicted for small-potato stuff

he has no chance of winning, the district will go to some other corrupt dummyrat

[kellynla]

Well whatever that is on top of his head when they send him up to the big house it will be removed. Someone should have told him to get a man's serious haircut if he wanted anybody to take him seriously. I have never seen so many bad rugs and combovers in my life as there are in D.C. They should either shave their heads or invest in the best rug money can buy.