The Herald, Sharon, PA Published Wednesday, May 15, 2002

YOUNGSTOWN

Traficant to play tapes for panel

The Associated Press

U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. said Tuesday that he will present the House Ethics Committee taped conversations that were barred from his bribery trial by a federal judge.

Traficant was convicted in April of 10 counts of bribery and racketeering. He will be sentenced June 27 in federal court in Cleveland and faces up to 63 years in prison, though under federal sentencing guidelines he is likely to get less than 20 years.

Appearing on the CNN's "Crossfire," Traficant said he would provide the ethics committee nine tapes of conversations he had with parties involved in his trial.

Traficant claims the audiotapes prove that witnesses against him were bullied into testifying by the federal government.

U.S. District Judge Lesley Wells did not allow Traficant to play the tapes in court. She ruled the parties Traficant taped were available to testify in person, so there was no reason to play tapes of conversations they had with Traficant.

"I had seven tapes that were not admitted that would abolish this whole case," Traficant said.

"I have tapes on every one of these. They will be submitted to the ethics committee, and this is going to be a barn-burner."

A bipartisan four-member panel has been charged with reviewing in private transcripts and evidence from Traficant's trial to determine if House rules were violated.



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