House expels animated Traficant

THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2002

Rep. James Traficant (D-Ohio) was expelled by the House on Wednesday night by a vote of 420 to 1.

Traficant, known for his animated floor speeches, interesting hair styles and 70s-style clothing, fought until the bitter end. He said his April conviction on 10 counts of bribery, racketeering and corruption was a conspiracy against him.

Traficant was only the second member since the Civil War to be removed. Rep. Gary Condit (D-Calif.), whose career was killed over a scandal involving a Washington, D.C., intern, voted against expulsion.

The House removed all remnants of Traficant from its web servers almost as soon as he was expelled, replacing his pages with a vacancy notice.

Get the Story:
House Votes 420 to 1 to Expel Traficant (The Washington Post 7/25)
House Votes to Expel Traficant From Ranks (The New York Times 7/25)
Username: indianz.com, Password: indianz.com