Rep. James Traficant Expelled from Congress

Reuters | 7/24/02

[kattracks]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday expelled Democratic Rep. James Traficant of Ohio, making the former sheriff turned convicted felon the second House member since the Civil War to be tossed out of Congress.

On a vote of 420-1, lawmakers booted the nine-term Traficant for ethics violations stemming from his April conviction on federal charges of bribery, kickbacks and tax evasion.

Traficant, 61, became the second House member since the Civil War and the fifth in history to be expelled, and the first since Democratic Rep. Michael Myers of Pennsylvania was removed after a 1980 bribery conviction.

The expulsion vote came after a passionate floor debate during which Traficant professed innocence but a number of colleagues said he must go.

"We have to do our job," said Rep. Gene Green, a Texas Democrat. "If we can't remove a member of Congress who has been convicted of 10 felony counts ... we risk losing the faith and trust of the American people."

"I want your vote," Traficant said in closing. "My people elected me. I don't think you should take their representative away." But he added, softly. "Vote your conscience."

The only member who voted against expulsion was Rep. Gary Condit, a California Democrat who was defeated in a reelection bid this year after being romantically linked to a missing federal intern.

Traficant is to be sentenced next Tuesday for his felony convictions. He plans to run for re-election in November as an independent.

[Registered]

The only member who voted against expulsion was Rep. Gary Condit, a California Democrat who was defeated in a reelection bid this year after being romantically linked to a missing federal intern.

THEY STILL THINK SHE'S MISSING?!!?!?! BWAHAHAHAHAH!

[rockfish59]

Condit?
Birds of a feather?

[Ukiapah Heep]

Good riddance!

[Unknown Freeper]

You'd think they would update their blurb that they copy and paste about him. Geesh.

(kattracks, isn't it late/early for you to be up?)

[Wild Irish Rogue]

Too bad the Democrats weren't concerned with law and order, when they were considering Clinton's impeachment-at least the Republicans are consistent.

[Joee]

A sad but required affair! Who next????

[nhoward14]

At Reuters, I guess they feel that a skeleton does not constitute a whole intern so she is still considered "missing."

[Paul Atreides]

[Mark Turbo]

One to beam up.

Energize.

[Chief]

The only member who voted against expulsion was Rep. Gary Condit, a California Democrat who was defeated in a reelection bid this year after being romantically linked to a missing federal intern.

THEY STILL THINK SHE'S MISSING?!!?!?! BWAHAHAHAHAH!


Well, at the time he was defeated she was only "missing". They are technically accurate, but should have added "then missing intern."

[basil]

I shudder everytime I remember that that murdering bast##d Ted Kennedy continues to hold a seat in the Senate! Bribery is certainly bad enough--but I think murder tops bribery any day of the week.

[IronJack]

Traficant is a wreck. But I suspect the old blowhard won't take long to find his voice again. Maybe it'll be heard over the clang of the jailhouse door.

[habaes corpussel]

What I found interesting was the Vote to postpone. The Repunlicans split almost evenly. It was the Democrats that voted 2 to 1 against. The Chairman was pretty mild and the Ranking Member a Democrat was a hard case. Interesting....

[jumpstartme]

1 down, 421 to go.

[Slyfox]

I wonder what the King of Felonies is thinking about now?

Reality Check - veer to the right and scroll down

[Trteamer]

DO YOU FEAR YOUR GOVERNMENT?

[M. Peach]

He may have been dishonest, but he was honest enough to tell the truth about the damage Clinton and his crew did to this country. On a previous post, many of his one minute speeches were displayed ranging from China to Waco.

He was one of the few who had the guts to at least state the obvious....

[DrDavid]

What about Barney the Frank? Shouldn't he have been expelled for his fixing of traffic tickets?

[Vidalia]

This is a tip of a couple of icebergs.

The congress is now eating one of its own.

Corporate Execs will begin to eat their own.

JJ Trafficant is being crucified. The short comments by holier-than-thou Representatives are more than grandstanding.

A few words come to mind for the assholes who are grandstanding on the floor right now for their own personal benefit....Arrogance, Conceit, Hubris...

Hillary Clinton (dirty $500,000) and Barney Frank (dirty $250,000) did not make grandstand speeches anywhere, did they?

Yes, they are in the Senate, but these two have been very quiet about this Trafficant crap, haven't they?

These two are usually right out in front of anything one party would deem "vulnerable", and doubly for both parties, to use for personal gain, but not this time...

Why the deafening silence?

Hint: CITIGROUP, and Vidalia's estimation of the commingling of at least ONE TRILLION US DOLLARS of dirty drug monies and corporate fraud WAS LOW...