Free Republic

WASHINGTON — Federal investigators are looking into allegations that the assistant U.S. attorney who successfully prosecuted James A. Traficant Jr. engaged in misconduct, as Traficant and others have alleged. The U.S. Department of Justice launched its probe after the House ethics committee recently sent the White House the transcript of testimony in which Richard E. Detore — a businessman indicted on allegations of bribing Traficant — contended that prosecutors threatened him and pressured him to lie. Craig S. Morford, the assistant U.S. attorney whom Traficant and Detore have accused, is one of three candidates the White House is considering as...

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...

A contractor whose confession to prosecutors began the bribery and racketeering investigation of U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. was sentenced Tuesday to two years probation and six weeks home detention.         Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Morford said Tuesday that without the confession of contractor Anthony Bucci, Mr. Traficant's case would never have gone to trial.         Mr. Traficant was convicted April 11 of 10 counts of bribery, racketeering and tax evasion and faces up to 63 years in prison. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Mr. Traficant is expected to get less than 20 years...

Fairness demands that the Justice Department expeditiously investigate allegations of prosecutorial misconduct against Craig Morford, the assistant U.S. attorney who is largely responsible for James A. Traficant Jr.'s being behind bars. Morford is one of three men being considered by the White House for the position of U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and dragging out the investigation could hurt his chances. He already was passed over once — despite his exceptional record as a federal prosecutor in Cleveland. The allegations against Morford were made by Richard Detore, the former chief operating officer of USAerospace Group, a Cafaro...

Who would have guessed that Jim Traficant would ever get his wish? Well, sonovagun! The House finally beamed him up to a place where only one man since the Civil War has gone before; out of Congress, and into the federal pokey for 8 years. The good news? Gary Condit voted not to boot Traficant. Write your own punchlines.Technically, Traficant was convicted of tax evasion for what amounts to getting a few free chores around the house. The public cost of these dastardly crimes is somewhere between a few warm six packs of beer and a nice lobbyist dinner. Yet...

CLEVELAND -- "You are lying under oath," the congressman roars at the trial witness. Prosecutors object. The judge admonishes. The jury departs. And Rep. James A. Traficant Jr., defending himself against charges of taking bribes and kickbacks, explains again that he is not a lawyer and is unschooled in courtroom procedure. But after being elected nine times to Congress, he does know how to score points with ordinary people like the 12 who will render a verdict. "I wish he would have had an attorney, but I think he has probably endeared himself to the jury," said Sam Vorhies, a...

It looks like I can stay licensed as an attorney through my appeal so I will be directly helping Jim Traficant with his appeal. Many of you have volunteered to assist and I will be taking you up on that offer, and look forward to working with many of you who have taught me many new ideas. I greatly appreciate it. The purpose of this email is to update everyone on what happened last night in the expulsion of Traficant, to give Traficant's position, to update you on what is happening around America that is not being reported by the...