BOARDMAN, Ohio (AP) - Former Ohio Rep. James Traficant told a crowd that gathered to welcome him back to Youngstown, Ohio, after seven years in federal prison that the government had to cheat to convict him of bribery and racketeering.
The comment Sunday elicited a roar from the crowd of about 1,200 gathered at a banquet hall four days after Traficant was
released from a federal prison in Minnesota. Hundreds shook his hand or asked for an autograph.
The 68-year-old Democrat says he'll make some major announcements in an interview scheduled to air Friday on Fox News. He also says he'll continue to fight for John Demjanjuk, a retired Cleveland-area autoworker who was deported to Germany this year to face charges that he was a guard at a Nazi death camp. It was Traficant's first public appearance since being released.
The most honest man in Congress was sentenced to eight years in prison on July 30, 2002. Congress had expelled Congressman James Traficant (D) Ohio on July 24 because he was a constant thorn to both parties.
Traficant had the amazing ability to condense with plain language an entire argument in one-minute speeches that made scorching criticism of obviously ridiculous bills. Congress hated him and the people loved him. Congress failed to expel Traficant several years ago.
This time they first pressured a Federal Judge to allow questionable witnesses to accuse Traficant of many serious felonies and refused to allow any defense witnesses to testify. The jury had to convict him based on what they were allowed to hear.
After hearing Traficant's verbal rebuttal of the Congressional Committee Council charges, you would agree that the charges
and resulting conviction were trumped up. Technically, Traficant was convicted of tax evasion for what amounts to getting a few
free chores around the house.
One Traficant juror has now come forward to say he regrets his guilty verdict, following revelations of Justice Department witness tampering.
EXCLUSIVE SCORCHING LETTER FROM THE PRISON CELL OF FORMER CONGRESSMAN JIM TRAFICANT, DEMOCRAT OF OHIO, FRAMED BY TAINTED CONGRESS, I.R.S. & JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
April 17, 2003 -- Most of the people who write me say they cannot understand why the government targeted me with such a passion. Every rumor and innuendo that any political opponent would plant and foster became public and, before long,
developed into an indictment without any physical evidence -- only the testimony of subjects who were able to avoid jail by
fabricating falsehoods about me. Lies and half-truths became 'facts'; and ultimately became a 10-count indictment.
My evidence, that would have proved they were lying, was not allowed to be presented -- either before the Congress or the
Federal Court!
However, I know why I was targeted: I was not afraid of the government, and I had learned too much! The beginning of all of
this was my first trial, in 1983, when I became the only American in history to defeat the U.S. Department of Justice in a RICO case -- pro se (representing myself), and me not being an attorney. They were embarrassed!
The straw that broke the camel's back was when I proved that John Demanjuk was not the infamous Ivan the Terrible of the
Treblinka death camp in Poland. The government was stunned and in shock. The real Ivan was nine years older, taller, and had black hair and a scar on his neck; his name was Ivan Marchenko.
My investigation, in conjunction with John Demanjuk's beautiful family, proved not only that John was innocent, but also that
the Justice Department knew he was not guilty -- even before they took him to court!
Shame, shame!! They lied to the court -- gave false testimony and presented false witnesses -- knowing that he would be put to
death! Shame!! The Justice Department then came after me with revenge, and a passion! I lost my respect and my faith in our
government. Because this case was 'too sensitive', Congress would not even hold a hearing on my evidence . . . Congress,
all of them, at the time -- turned their back, worried about reelection!!
The Democrats were in charge then, and they knew of my investigation in Congress . . . hoping I would abandon it! I
did not! I sent my findings to the Israeli Supreme Court -- and they had no choice: They released John Demanjuk! In fact,
they delivered him to me at the airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, and I personally brought him home, along with his son, his
son-in-law, and Israeli bodyguards!
I am proud of what I did. No one else, in the House or the Senate, would even talk to the family -- afraid of media power
and the vindictiveness of the Justice Department. But even today, John Demanjuk is still being persecuted. Shame!
The government agents that destroyed Demanjuk's life should be in jail! That was just the tip of the iceberg. When people
saw what I had done for the Demanjuk family they came to me with information so powerful that it is hard to believe. The
government knew I was getting sensitive information that could damage the American people's confidence in the government. It may all sound far-fetched, but the government knows that I know -- and so they had to ruin my voice by destroying my credibility. I may yet divulge this information if I can get the proper forum. As you know, I was the dreaded enemy of the I.R.S. My
legislation in the last I.R.S. Reform Bill changed the Burden of Proof law. Before that, you had to prove you were innocent in a tax court. The burden of proof was on the taxpayer. The I.R.S. said you owed . . . but the I.R.S. did not have to prove it.
Unbelievable! Now that the I.R.S. has to prove their charges, the following statistics tell the true story:
Comparing One Year Before the changes to One Year After:
1. Wage Garnishments dropped from 3.1 million to 560,000;
2. Taxpayer Property Liens dropped from 680,000 to 161,000;
3. Foreclosures on individual family-owned homes dropped from 10,063 to 57! That's right: only 57 homes
in all 50 states! Fact is, the I.R.S. was seizing our homes -- over 10,000 every year -- when they had neither proof nor the right to do so!
Congress allowed the I.R.S. to intimidate us and frighten us. Think about it! And then maybe you can begin to understand why I love America but hate the Government -- and why the Government hates me. The Justice Department had to get rid ofme, but I'll be damned if I would back down!
America is in trouble . . . not from without, but from within! The Central Government has become too powerful. Citizens fear the Government. This is wrong. This is dangerous! I know the Government covered-up and promulgated LIES about Waco, Ruby Ridge, Pan Am Flight 103, Hoffa, and JFK. The Government knew I was right when I called Janet Reno a traitor.
Janet Reno sold us out when she refused to investigate a $10-million payoff to the Democratic Party from a general in the Red Chinese Army. Think about it! And the Government knew that I had known why Reno was forced to betray America! I'm proud that I tried to do something about it! Someday the truth will come out. (I hope China never attacks us!)
--(Signed) Jim Traficant, former Democratic Congressman from Ohio
