White House to See Transcripts (Of Judicial Abuse By Traficant Prosecutor)

AP via Yahoo! News ^ | July 30, 2002 | MALIA RULON

[PJ-Comix]

WASHINGTON (AP) -

A House panel is sending transcripts from former Rep. James Traficant ( news, bio, voting record)'s ethics hearing to the White House, where the lead prosecutor in his case is being screened for a possible appointment as a U.S. Attorney.

During ethics hearings earlier this month, Richard Detore, former chief operating officer of U.S. Aerospace Group, said government prosecutors, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Morford, threw things at him and pressured him to lie to win Traficant's conviction.

"They said that nobody was going to support me in the administration and that they were making sure that you were out," Detore told Traficant in response to questions. "They wanted me to lie."

Detore accused Morford of threatening him with a tax investigation if he did not cooperate, comparing a nine-hour meeting with Morford in June 2001 to a "Nazi interrogation" with Morford "yelling, screaming, throwing papers, throwing pencils."

Morford was one of three people recommended to be U.S. Attorney in Cleveland by Ohio's two Republican senators after the man they first recommended withdrew from consideration.

"Since Mr. Detore's testimony touched on Mr. Morford, it was my feeling that so the White House didn't get embarrassed about that later, it was so they could ask him about that," said House ethics committee member Rep. Steven LaTourette ( news, bio, voting record), R-Ohio.

A spokesman for the White House declined to comment Tuesday on the transcript or the consideration of Morford for the federal post.

The House ethics committee also has forwarded a copy of Detore's testimony to the Justice Department ( news - web sites)'s Office of Professional Responsibility, which investigates prosecutorial misconduct.

Detore, who is accused by the government of funneling bribes from his company to Traficant, didn't testify during Traficant's trial. His remarks before the ethics panel were made without an attorney or a promise of immunity. No one backed up his claims and other members of the committee weren't impressed with the testimony.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Cleveland, said Morford "categorically denies all of Mr. Detore's accusations."

Traficant, a nine-term Democrat from Ohio, was ousted from Congress last week and sentenced Tuesday to eight years in prison.

[PJ-Comix]

The tide MIGHT be turning on the Traficant case. Last week it appeared to be OVER for Jim Traficant. He was sent to prison for 8 years and his protests about the abuses of the prosecution team were pooh-poohed. Now there are INCREASING calls for the investigation of the heavyhanded tactics of the prosecution team headed by Craig Morford. The fact that the White House is reviewing the transcripts of the Traficant's ethics hearing is a good sign. BTW, the White House (or some other organization) should investigate the allegations about the husband of the Judge (Leslie Wells) in the Traficant case, Charles Clark, who has been accused of having lucrative business dealings with the chief prosecution witness (John Cafaro).

Help turn the tide on this case by voting in this online poll asking this question:

Should the U.S. Justice Dept. investigate possible prosecutorial misconduct in the Traficant case?

Remember that Jim Traficant is now rotting in prison for the crime of being controversial. Help turn this case around by voting in this poll HERE.

[Dallas]

An interesting turn of events, for sure.....

The beltway is a cesspool, and I still think term limits would be a good start.

[PJ-Comix]

Hopefully the tide is turning on this. Last week I am sure that Traficant prosecutor, Craig Morford, thought it was all over and his ambitious path to U.S. Attorney was clear. But now people are having a second look at Traficant's protests about judicial abuse after initially writing them off. It now appears that Traficant was dead on in his accusations. Now Morford has to start sweating. Even the Youngstown Vindicator newspaper, no friend to Traficant, had an editorial yesterday calling for an investigation of Morford.

Is the tide turning? Stay tuned and BEAM ME UP!

[steve50]

Running about 70% in favor of review, this will be one of those times "rule of law"(it's over with, forget about it) trumps "democracy". If this bozo gets a Federal Judgeship out of this you know it was a hit job from the start.

The Bushes reward those who serve them well, look how far Hutchinson has gone.

[PJ-Comix]

If this bozo gets a Federal Judgeship out of this you know it was a hit job from the start.

I'm not so sure this will happen now. Remember, a bunch of important folks over at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave regular lurk here on the FR to keep tabs on the public mood. By reading this forum they must already (or will soon) know that Morford is POISON. So keep up the pressure by posting your views on the Traficant threads. There is now a good chance that the overambitious prosecutor will find his career at a dead end. And, who knows, as a result of discoveries of judicial abuse, Traficant might even be beamed out of prison and back into Congress.

[steve50]

I'm not as optimistic as you about the will of the people. These guys own the press, they can sell a large enough percentage of the people any bill of goods. Then if Fox/CNN don't raise a stink, it must be alright.

All the press whores are talking about is Traficants hair piece, they're doing everything they can to ridicule and minimize him. They won't even air his allegations of judicial misconduct in a serious manner. They'll paint his supporters as the tin foil hat crew and move on.

[joesbucks]

PJ.....

Repeat after me.....Trafficant is done......Trafficant is done......Trafficant is done. See, it easily rolls once you get used to it.

Seriously, don't you remember poor little Monica claiming to be pressured (including I believe to lie) by Starr's prosecution team? Seem to remember lot's of Freeper's saying it was standard procedure for prosecutors to use that type of pressure to persuade those who are withholding information to let it go.

Also, did this witness perjure himself while a witness? Seems pretty serious if he did.

Trafficant has no one to blame for his troubles but himself.

[It'salmosttolate]

TRAFICANT knows why the ECONOMY is TANKING -PRINCIPLE OF FAILURE TO YIELD
NEW (PROOF?) THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CONSPIRED IN ORDER TO GET TRAFICANT

[PJ-Comix]

All the press whores are talking about is Traficants hair piece, they're doing everything they can to ridicule and minimize him. They won't even air his allegations of judicial misconduct in a serious manner.

Unless a certain creative humor writer whose identity I'm much too (BLUSH!) humble to mention helps turn the tide by using that very ridicule to backlash against the corrupt prosecution team. Stay tuned! :-)

[PJ-Comix]

John Cafaro, the prosecution witness, already admitted lying in a previous case. Oh, and this is the same Cafaro who has had business dealings with the husband of the judge in the case.

[Dallas]

With the right appellate attorney, he might get a retrial ?

[steve50]

Ping me when you go after em PJ, and good luck

[PJ-Comix]

The Traficant story hit me with the same type of flash as my COLUMBO story of a few years ago. In both cases, the stories sort of flashed into my head almost word for word within five mintutes of inception.

[joesbucks]

Even if there was terrible judicial and prosecutorial misconduct, are you saying that Trafficant was not involved with and guilty of any of the indictments brought against him?

Cararo is a side show and and a side step from the issues of Trafficant's true guilt or whether he is innocent. But Trafficant is himself nothing but a side show. His whole ascertation about this being a Reno vendetta proves that point. It was the Bush justice department that allowed this to go forward and be prosecuted and with the zeal and warts that have been claimed, not Clinton/Reno.

Probably there are few high profile cases that don't have some sort of conflict of interest or "misconduct" involved in them. Don't we wish all trials, prosecutors and judges could be pure as the driven snow. Fact is, they aren't. But what is import is whether in the grand scheme of things someone got a fair trial.

Did Trafficant get a fair trial. Probably not.....there is nothing more unfair than a fool representing a fool.

[PJ-Comix]

Even if there was terrible judicial and prosecutorial misconduct, are you saying that Trafficant was not involved with and guilty of any of the indictments brought against him?

All evidence against him was hearsay evidence from proven liars or folks who wanted to either reduce or avoid judicial sentences. Please check out the facts on this case. The more you dig into this, the more obvious it is that Traficant was railroaded. Oh, and WHY didn't Judge Wells RECUSE herself from this case due to the fact that her husband had business dealings with the lead prosecution witness?

[joesbucks]

Are you saying the Bush administration railroaded Trafficant?

[Constantine XIII]

He he, now we have a cliche sign to take to EVERY protest:

Free Mumia Trafficant!

[AdvisorB]

Karma pays its respects to those who do injustice. It appears that Morford was trying to make a name for himself, and the ends justified the means. If he did, what he was alleged to have done, he has done a grave injustice to Mr.Trafficant.

BTW, the trial became a show trial when the judge granted a change of venue to the prosecution. I believe the judge wanted to make sure that they got a jury pool that would prosecute Mr.Trafficant.

[cubreporter]

The press should be the LAST ones to talk about hair pieces or anything else regarding personal appearance. Perhaps they should look at some of their own videos to see how they could improve how THEY look.