Traficant Convicted
from the bribery,-extortion,-racketeering,-tax-fraud… dept.
A jury in Cleveland has found U.S. Representative James Traficant (D-OH) guilty of a host of corruption charges, according to this CNN report. Traficant added to the news value of his conviction by his characteristically “flamboyant” behavior during the trial; representing himself (though not a lawyer), yelling at the judge, questioning a prosecutor’s manhood, vowing to “kick their [the prosecution’s] ass”, etc. Traficant, who faces up to 63 years in prison, has vowed (profanely) not to give up his House seat, despite House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt’s (D-MO) call for him to step down in the wake of his conviction.
