**DONOTDELETE**
10-16-2001, 02:24 PM
Oct 15, 2001
Rep. Traficant, Facing Federal Trial on Bribery Charges, Files Privilege Motion
By Sarah Freeman
Associated Press Writer
CLEVELAND (AP) - U.S. Rep. James Traficant asked a federal judge Monday to suppress hundreds of pages of evidence the government plans to use against him in his upcoming trial on bribery and racketeering charges.
Traficant filed a motion saying the evidence is protected under a congressional "speech and debate clause privilege" in the Constitution. He argued that it allows members of Congress to speak freely while acting in their official capacity without fear of prosecution.
The documents all "occurred in the regular and customary course of the legislative process," the motion says.
Prosecutors have said the evidence proves Traficant made statements outside his role in Congress to people "from whom he was seeking, demanding, accepting and receiving things of value."
Traficant faces trial Feb. 4 on charges he accepted cash, meals and work on his farm in exchange for political favors.
Most of the documents are letters and e-mail about his dealings with Youngstown businessman J.J. Cafaro and Cafaro's company, U.S. Aerospace Group.
In one letter, Traficant told Cafaro he was writing to the Federal Aviation Administration in support of legislation that would install the company's technology at airports nationwide. Prosecutors say Cafaro gave Traficant $13,000, an advance on the purchase of Traficant's boat, 10 days later. Cafaro pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to bribe.
continued (http://www.etherzone.com/Making_News_Now9.html)
.................................................. .........
Poor man - it must be a VRWC!!
Rep. Traficant, Facing Federal Trial on Bribery Charges, Files Privilege Motion
By Sarah Freeman
Associated Press Writer
CLEVELAND (AP) - U.S. Rep. James Traficant asked a federal judge Monday to suppress hundreds of pages of evidence the government plans to use against him in his upcoming trial on bribery and racketeering charges.
Traficant filed a motion saying the evidence is protected under a congressional "speech and debate clause privilege" in the Constitution. He argued that it allows members of Congress to speak freely while acting in their official capacity without fear of prosecution.
The documents all "occurred in the regular and customary course of the legislative process," the motion says.
Prosecutors have said the evidence proves Traficant made statements outside his role in Congress to people "from whom he was seeking, demanding, accepting and receiving things of value."
Traficant faces trial Feb. 4 on charges he accepted cash, meals and work on his farm in exchange for political favors.
Most of the documents are letters and e-mail about his dealings with Youngstown businessman J.J. Cafaro and Cafaro's company, U.S. Aerospace Group.
In one letter, Traficant told Cafaro he was writing to the Federal Aviation Administration in support of legislation that would install the company's technology at airports nationwide. Prosecutors say Cafaro gave Traficant $13,000, an advance on the purchase of Traficant's boat, 10 days later. Cafaro pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to bribe.
continued (http://www.etherzone.com/Making_News_Now9.html)
.................................................. .........
Poor man - it must be a VRWC!!