The history behind Jim Traficant’s trial and conviction; from his original confrontation by FBI agents after his speech at a high school, to his decision to defend himself, to his guilty verdict. Watch the full video here.
It was springtime, and Congressman Jim Traficant was preparing to talk to students at Poland high school to about the evils drugs. He was told that FBI agents were waiting outside. The federal grand jury had indicted him on 10 counts of racketeering. It alleged that he accepted free work on his farm from some people who wanted favors, such as shady asphalt pavers like Anthony Bucci; he wanted Traficant’s help getting reapproved for government work. Accepting a bribe from businessman J.J. Cafaro; he wanted Traficant’s help in getting the government accepting navigation equipment that he was developing through his USAerospace Group. The indictment also charged Traficant with taking kickbacks from several staff members just to work for him. He was also accused of filing false tax returns in 1998 and 1999. He pledged to again ‘go it alone’ as he did in beating a federal bribery charge at trial in 1984.
“I truly plan to defend myself. These are undefeated, excellent, intelligent bureaucrats, and I’m going to try them.”
Traficant, who had been saying for months that he would be indicted, quickly took to the airwaves on talk radio to plead his case.
“He’s a maverick. Many people in this area know he’s been here before, he’s beat the charges before, and some people genuinely believe the government might be out to get him.”
A vendetta: it was a theme Traficant would wear out during the days leading up to and throughout his two-month trial. But Judge Lesley Wells wouldn’t allow him to use it as a defense. The jury found him guilty on all counts.
“I made a whole lot of people happy, I’m sure. A lot of political enemies.”
“Are you going to resign?”
“I’ve never been a quitter. I don’t think I’ll quit now.”
Traficant is appealing his denial of a vendetta defense, and that his jurors lived outside his district, and therefore; not a jury of his peers. Jim Traficant awaits sentencing in June. His colleagues in Congress discuss whether to initiate procedures to remove him from office. Traficant plans to run for reelection as an independent.
