Traficant Moved to Federal Prison

AP via NYTimes.com ^ | 8/5/02

[GeneD]

Filed at 7:47 p.m. ET

U.S. marshals transferred former Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. on Monday from an Ohio jail to a federal prison in Pennsylvania where he will serve eight years for bribery and racketeering.

Traficant had asked to be placed in an Ohio prison so he can run for re-election Nov. 5 from his Youngstown district. But the sentencing judge made no recommendation either way.

The Constitution states that a congressional candidate must be a resident of the state where he is seeking office. Both Traficant's spokesman and state officials said they did not know if his assignment to a prison outside Ohio would affect his eligibility to run.

``He's still moving forward as if he was running. But it's a gray area. Nobody's ever done this before,'' said spokesman Dean Caputo.

Traficant arrived Monday afternoon at the minimum-security Allenwood federal prison in central Pennsylvania, authorities said. He had been jailed in Akron, Ohio, since his sentencing last week.

Traficant, 61, was to be housed in a locked dormitory-style wing at Allenwood, a federal prison spokeswoman said. His unlocked cubicle will contain a locker, desk and bunk bed.

Gov. Bob Taft has said he won't order a special election to fill the last five months of Traficant's term, saying it would cost too much. But the American Civil Liberties Union on Monday sued to force an election.

``The governor's action essentially says to 600,000 people that their voice doesn't matter,'' said Raymond Vasvari, the ACLU's Ohio legal director.

A federal judge will decide.

Traficant, a nine-term Democrat, was convicted in April on 10 counts including bribery, racketeering and tax evasion. Last month he became only the second congressman to be expelled from the House since the Civil War.

[leadpenny]

Traficant? mmmmmm? I kinda remember the name. Just doesn't ring a bell.

[leadpenny]

. . . a nine-term Democrat . . .

AP did manage to slip in democrat in the last paragraph.

[CIBvet]

Of course not, because corruption in government isn't anything you and your political pals are concerned with, unless it';s the other guys and you can glean some partisan benefit from it.

[leadpenny]

What?

[B-bone]

Does this mean that his toupee (and I use that term loosly in this case) is currently homeless?

[Grut]

Does this mean that his toupee (and I use that term loosly in this case) is currently homeless?

I believe its current condition might better be described as 'feral'.

[Pablo64]

I had heard on the news that he would not be allowed to wear his toupee in prison. Have there been any pics of the perp sans rug?

I always wondered how someone like that could look in a mirror and say, "Yep, that's a good look!"

[Joe Hadenuf]

James A. Traficant Jr. on Monday from an Ohio jail to a federal prison in Pennsylvania where he will serve eight years

I would like to do this happen to everyone of our elected representitives that have encourage, supported, and or failed to do their jobs that require them to secure our borders and protect our sovereignty. I have nothing but contempt for them....

[Joe Hadenuf]

Correction:

I would like see this happen to everyone of our elected representitives that have encourage, supported, and or failed to do their jobs that require them to secure our borders and protect our sovereignty. I have nothing but contempt for them....

[Catspaw]

Allenwood? Isn't that a Club Fed?

[B4Ranch]

May I stand beside you repeating your words? They all need to be jailed. Eisenhower set a good example!

[StriperSniper]

F**k Mumia, FREE TRAFICANT!

[B-bone]

LOL

[Joe Hadenuf]

Yes you can, would be my pleasure...

[mysonsfuture]

If he is not allowed to be on the ballot,he should call for and win a write in campain in order to send a clear message to the govt gestapo.

[Libertina]

I figured they would make sure he didn't get to go to his home state. No matter what he's done, I support an appeal. I hate seeing the hypocracy between Trafficant's case and Torricelli's.

[B Knotts]

For a guy that's supposed to just be a run-of-the-mill crooked nut, they sure seem to be anxious to get him locked away ASAP. What are they afraid of?

[PJ-Comix]

What are they afraid of?

Keep checking this board. In a few days you'll find out. Hee! Hee!