Posted on 08/06/2002 5:17:00 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
James A. Traficant Jr. has left the building.
U.S. marshals picked up the feisty former congressman at 8:47 a.m. Monday at the Summit County Jail and headed east to the low-security Allenwood Federal Correctional Institution in White Deer Township, Pa.
He arrived at his new home at 2:45 p.m., according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Traficant was wearing his famous mop top -- discovered to be a toupee during his jail stay -- when he departed. He had to remove it upon arrival at the federal facility, where hairpieces aren't permitted.
Traficant had been held in Summit since last week, when he was sentenced to eight years in prison for his April conviction on charges of racketeering, bribery and tax evasion.
During his short stay in Akron, he became the jail's resident celebrity -- with calls coming in about his infamous mane and demeanor, as well as multiple requests for interviews, which he did not grant.
His persona in an isolation cell -- where he was kept for his protection -- was no different than the one he displayed on television since taking over the U.S. House of Representatives seat for the Mahoning Valley in 1984, Summit County Sheriff's Department Maj. Charles Poncgracz said.
``He was in pretty good spirits for someone looking at eight years,'' Poncgracz said. ``He's a fighter, I think. He just doesn't have any use for the FBI.''
In the federal prison, Traficant, 61, will be mixed in with the general population at the all-male facility, which is roughly 200 miles east of Youngstown, just off Interstate 80 in central Pennsylvania.
The prison's location -- in a township of about 4,000 people -- is bound to be disappointing to Traficant. He sought to be placed within Ohio to help his campaign to reclaim the 17th District seat as an independent.
Political observers are wary of saying that Traficant has no chance of winning Nov. 5 -- even from behind bars in another state.
There is no precedent regarding a House run from prison.
Constitutional experts say he could serve from another state. Federal courts have ruled that a person's residency is not determined by ``physical or legal compulsion'' -- such as a prison sentence.
Where Traficant may play a bigger role, though, is as king maker. The thought is that he takes more votes from state Sen. Timothy J. Ryan, D-Niles. The better Traficant does, the better it is for state Rep. Ann Womer Benjamin, R-Aurora.
The only polling since the May primary (before the expulsion) put Traficant's support at 13 percent.
John Green, director of the Bliss Institute for Applied Politics at the University of Akron, said Traficant has never been more popular than after his expulsion and sentencing.
Youngstown State University Political Science Department Chairman William Binning said Traficant winning 10 to 15 percent of the vote is realistic.
Meanwhile, in the small communities surrounding White Deer, there was little fanfare regarding the prison's newest resident.
Ed Rolko, owner of Mr. Edward's, a barbershop, beauty shop and wig supplier in nearby Shenandoah, needed some reminders before he could place Traficant's name.
He brushed off the questions with a simple -- ``to me, all those politicians are crooks'' -- and shifted the conversation to his pressing concern: his failing garden.
Rolko, however, joked that he might ask around to find out about Traficant's toupee since he cuts the hair of some prison employees.
``Maybe I could sell him a new one?'' he said, laughing. ``When he comes out, I might be able to take care of him.''
Oh, and please participate in this online POLL on the following question:
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Constitutional experts say he could serve from another state. Federal courts have ruled that a person's residency is not determined by ``physical or legal compulsion'' -- such as a prison sentence.
Assuming it's a Dimcratic district, how reasonable are the chances that he'll muddy the waters enough for the Republican candidate to slip in?
Does she have what it takes to pick up this district regardless of what Traficant does?
lol... funny! I'm not sure you're right though. He probably maintains Ohio as his official residence and regards the Pen as a temporary residence, kind of like when you're in the service. Not sure if we have an actual precedent for anything like this.
All I can say about Big Jim T. is that as an Ohioan, he's always been good for a laugh, he's given the Democrats fits by being uncontrollable, and he went to prison as a Democrat. I just can't see a dowside to this, except for Jim T, of course.
According to this article he can run for Congress.
I'm surprised they did not ship him off to some gulag in Siberia. I suppose sending him to Pennsylvania served their purposes.
Terrible injustice that has taken place. Clearly a case of using the justice system to eliminate one's political opposition. So sad what has become of this country. Even sader the Republicans went along with it.
Wow, I see this as a big loss. Not so much in terms of what Traficant may or may not have done for the district he represented but that it is so clearly a case of political opposition being run out of office.
In other countries this type of political activity led to very terrible and troubled times. I hope we don't experience that kind of a loss.
I suppose you have to accept my premise that he was run out of office to accept my position. Maybe you don't see it that way.
If that is the case, may I ask, why is it that others whose crimes were much worse still sit in the "honorable" house?
Womer-Benjamin is a RINO, and she has already stated that she will not run a "traditional Republican" campaign, whatever that means. She has already come out as not being too supportive of SS privatization, for instance.
IMHO, it's real simple. If Traficant gets to run her chances are slim to none, but it's there. Without Traficant in the race there is no chance.
The RATS will be putting big money on a youngster named Tim Ryan, and Gepfart will be personally involved in this one. He is the most likely winner and if he wins he will simply hand over his congressional voting card to Gepfart. There is yet another dude in this race named Davis, a longtime union "leader" who is somewhere way to the left of Lenin. He is still bound to get union votes to take away from Ryan. Add Traficant to this mess and the chance is there. It may make a difference whether the GOP will put any money into this race or not.
RINO or not, we need Womer-Benjamin to keep control of those House committees else they be stuffed and chaired by "progressive caucus" socialists led by a jerk named Dennis Kucinich.
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