The Hindu : Democrat expelled from House

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 26, 2002

International

International

Democrat expelled from House

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington JULY 25 . James Traficant, a Democrat from Ohio, has been expelled from Congress. He faced the disciplinary action after being convicted of bribery and racketeering.

Mr. Traficant, 61, will be sentenced next week and can expect to spend at least seven years in prison.

The 420 to 1 vote on Wednesday night signals the end of the political career of the maverick Democrat, who, however, has vowed to fight the November elections as an independent from jail.

"I'm prepared to lose everything. I'm prepared to go to jail. You go ahead and expel me," a defiant Mr. Traficant told House members prior to the voting last night. Mr. Traficant, who is immensely popular in his district in Ohio and well known for his "colourful" language and his "entertaining" ways on the House floor, vowed not to go without a fight. However, in the end the Democrat realised the game was up; he was not going to get the required majority to ward off his expulsion.

The lone Democrat who voted against his expulsion was the Congressman from California, Gary Condit, who himself will not be returning to the House after the November election.

Mr. Condit, who made headlines last summer in the aftermath of the disappearance of Chandra Levy, the young intern with whom he had an affair, lost in the primaries.

"My people elected me and I don't think you should take their representative away. Vote your conscience. Nothing personal. I hope I'm back," Mr. Traficant said sombrely though he had earlier promised to do a Michael-Jackson-style moonwalk if expelled from Congress.

The last time the House of Representatives expelled a member was in 1980 when a Democrat, Michael Myers, was disqualified for accepting bribes from agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who were posing as Arab sheikhs. In its entire 213-year history, the House has expelled only five members, three during the Civil War for treason.

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