<a href="http://foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,58677,00.html">http://foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,58677,00.html</a> House Votes to Expel Traficant Wednesday, July 24, 2002 WASHINGTON — In only the second time a sitting member has been banished since the Civil War, the House voted to expel convicted Ohio Rep. James Traficant on Wednesday. Representatives voted 420-1 to remove the nine-term Democrat for taking kickbacks from employees, encouraging the destruction of evidence, soliciting bribes and other gifts from businessmen and filing false income tax returns. A federal jury in Cleveland convicted Traficant of all of those offenses in April. The expulsion takes effect immediately. Traficant, 61, was defiant to the end. "I'm prepared to lose everything. I'm prepared to go to jail. You go ahead and expel me," he said, maintaining his innocence and claiming that government prosecutors coerced witnesses to lie in order to win the court convictions against him. "My people elected me and I don't think you should take their representative away," Traficant pleaded before leaving the chamber. But "vote your conscience. Nothing personal. I hope I'm back." The only lawmaker voting against Traficant's expulsion was Rep. Gary Condit, D-Calif., who was defeated in a primary for re-election after he was romantically linked with Chandra Levy, a government intern who was murdered. Nine others voted present. House ethic watchdogs condemned Traficant, saying the evidence against him was overwhelming. "None of us ever want to sit in judgment of our peers," said House Ethics Chairman Joel Hefley, R-Colo., in his call for Traficant's expulsion. "There are some unique occasions, however, when the behavior of an elected official violates the public trust to such an extent that we are called upon to uphold this provision." The Associated Press contributed to this report.[/b] LOL. Out of 421 people, the only person to vote against Traficant being kicked out was Gary Condit.
