James Traficant — a political firebrand, a beloved leader, a magnet for controversy and a convicted felon — dies at age 73
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Former Congressman James A. Traficant Jr. was finally beamed up Saturday morning. His family spokesperson, Heidi Hanni, confirmed that he died at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Elizabeth Health Center, four days after an accident in which a tractor turned over on him while working on his Greenford farm.
Traficant’s notoriety was rivaled only by his eccentricity.
He loved to play the buffoon during his 17 years in Congress. He got plenty of notice within the staid, buttoned-down Capitol and airtime on C-SPAN for his messy mop of hair – revealed to be a wig when he went to prison – his typical wardrobe of cowboy boots, denim or polyester suits, and his bombastic speaking style.
His made-for-TV rants on the House floor ended with the signoff “Beam me up,” which Traficant borrowed from “Star Trek” to show his disgust or bemusement at whatever he found particularly outrageous.
No other details of his death or planned services were announced Saturday afternoon but are expected to be released today.
Expressions of grief and condolences from friends, politicians and others were immediate.
Longtime friend Dominic Marchese said he was blessed by his relationship with Traficant. He first met Traficant in the early 1980s, while he was running for Congress.
“I knew what kind of human being he was,” Marchese said. “I was with him when he shot his first deer while on my farm. He loved hunting and fishing. He had a real passion for dogs. He was a real American.”
Marchese described Traficant having tears in his eyes when he learned that Marchese’s dog, “Shoes,” had died. A week later, Traficant delivered a new dog to his friend.
“Jim will be sorely missed by so many people,” Marchese said.
Marchese was one of the people able to visit Traficant in the hospital this week.
“Jim loved agriculture,” Marchese said. “It was fitting that he died as a result of doing something he loved.”
Marchese at one time worked in Traficant’s Niles office.
Fred Alberini, who served as vice chairman and chairman of the Trumbull County Democratic Party while Traficant was in Congress, said the congressman always worked to better the Mahoning Valley in the projects he supported.
“One of the things that I found remarkable was that he remembered everyone’s name,” Alberini said. “It did not matter if he met you 10 years ago, he would remember your name and something about you or your family. It was a remarkable gift.”
In addition to his memory for detail, Alberini described Traficant as putting together a congressional staff that helped him stay on top of any promises he made to constituents.
“It was a very, very good staff,” Alberini said. “They always followed up on requests from constituents.”
Alberini described the congressman as having a following that remained loyal to him no matter what was happening around him.
“While he was in office, he was a loyal Democrat that followed the philosophies of the party of helping others – especially those who could not help themselves,” Alberini said.
“Mr. Traficant was a complex man,” Dave Betras, chairman of the Mahoning County Democratic Party, told the Associated Press. “He gave voice to the frustrations and anxieties of the common man. The public felt he was one of them and because of that connection, they supported him in good times and in bad. He was a larger-than-life character who will long be remembered.”
Three-term Mahoning County Commissioner Anthony Traficanti first met Traficant when he was in the eighth grade.
“My father and Jim were friends,” Traficanti said. When Traficant was sheriff “he would come to my school and talk to students about drugs.”
Years later, while Traficanti was a graduate student at Youngstown State University, he said he volunteered to work on Traficant’s congressional campaign. He later was hired to work part time, and eventually full time, in the congressman’s office.
Traficanti stayed there for 11 years, he said.
“He gave me my start in politics,” Traficanti said. “He was the greatest politician I’ve known. Working with him I met some of the most powerful people in the world. It was a very rewarding job.”
Traficant endeared himself to locals in the early 1980s by defying the courts and going to jail for three nights rather than foreclose on the homes of workers laid off from the steel mills.
But antagonism between Traficant and federal law enforcement authorities lasted throughout his public career, with Traficant trumpeting it as proof that he was on the side of “the little guy” against powerful government interests.
On the personal side, Traficanti described Traficant as always talking about his parents and his days as a football player at the University of Pittsburgh, where he played alongside former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka.
Former mayor and current Warren Councilman Dan Sferra said he always got along with Traficant. Sferra was an early supporter of Traficant when he first ran for his congressional seat.
“I arranged a meeting with some of the Democratic party committee representatives,” Sferra said. “Jim yelled at them for not supporting him, but by the end of the meeting they were friends. He just had that way with people.”
Traficant faced his first federal bribery and corruption trial in 1983, when he was Mahoning County sheriff. Prosecutors accused Traficant of taking bribes to protect mobsters’ criminal activity. He defended himself in court, although he was not a lawyer, and won. He argued that he was conducting a one-person sting.
He was elected to Congress the following year and was easily re-elected eight times.
Traficanti described the congressman bringing, or helping to bring, two federal buildings, Cafaro Field, the Covelli Center, the 910th Airlift Wing, three veterans health clinics and other projects to the Mahoning Valley.
In 2000, as he geared up for re-election, Traficant was indicted in a grand jury investigation that targeted corruption and organized crime in the Youngstown area and led to the convictions of scores of people, including judges, a prosecutor and a sheriff.
But Traficant was the biggest prize, and he was not as lucky in his second trial as in his first.
He was sentenced April 11, 2002 to eight years in prison and led from the federal courtroom in handcuffs.
His case over, Traficant ran for re-election from prison as an independent in 2002 and lost to former aide Tim Ryan. Traficant got 15 percent of the vote in a three-way race.
Ryan, D-Howland, said his thoughts and prayers are going out to his family during this difficult time.
“He was a man who possessed tremendous charisma and throughout his career helped thousands of citizens in the Mahoning Valley in many ways,” Ryan said. “We all pray that he may rest in peace.”
Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, said he and his wife, LeAnn, were saddened to learn about Traficant’s death.
“He was a bold figure who often spoke passionately about the problems so many working families face,” Marietta said. “Our prayers go out to his family.”
Chris Redfern, chairman of the Ohio Democratic party, recalled meeting Traficant while he was a student at Bowling Green State University.
“On behalf of Democrats everywhere, I offer former Congressman Traficant’s family and friends our condolences and thoughts at the passing of Jim,” he said. “It’s tremendously painful to lose a loved one, and I personally wish Jim’s loved ones nothing but the best in this difficult time.”
Clarence Smith, the former head of the Mahoning County Republican Party, also expressed sympathy to the Traficant family.
“As a congressman he did what he believed was best for our city and county,” Smith said of Traficant’s time in office.
Rick Berger, a former investigator who began working with Traficant in 2002, said he never believed the former congressman was guilty of the 10 federal charges of which he was convicted.
Traficant’s federal corruption charges included taking campaign funds for personal use. He was convicted of 10 felony counts including bribery, racketeering and tax evasion and served seven of his eight-year sentence.
Later in 2002, Traficant became only the second person to be expelled from Congress since the Civil War.
While Traficant was imprisoned, Berger said he wrote to him once a week.
Traficant called life in prison “tough.”
“Most political figures go to some camps in country clubs,” he said. “I didn’t.”
Released from prison in September 2009, the following year he ran for the Youngstown-area congressional seat as an independent. He received 16 percent of the vote, again losing to Ryan, and then faded from the spotlight.
Since then, he has lived a quiet life with his wife Tish in their Poland home while doting on his grandchildren. But friends said the farm in Greenford, owned by his daughter Elizabeth Traficant, was where he spent most of his time.
Neighbor and fellow farmer Ed Shaffer said the farm was “just a place for (Traficant) to hang out.”
Traficanti said, “It was something that he really cherished. And he loved being there. He was really a farmer and he would work as hard as anybody.”
The barn where his tractor tipped over played a key role in his criminal case.
A Youngstown businessman had the barn built for Traficant in return for a favor. The businessman later billed Traficant for the full construction cost after the congressman continued asking for favors. Traficant ended up paying him far less than what the barn was worth, and the businessman testified against him.
On Tuesday, a report from a neighbor said that Traficant struck a large steel plow blade with the front of the tractor, causing the tractor to roll over backward and trap Traficant underneath it, still in a seated position.
“He pulled in and that’s when he hit the plow blade. The torque of the tractor lifted it right up the back of the barn,” Goshen police Chief Steven T. McDaniel said. “The tractor was in good shape so it was a freak accident.”
He was taken to Salem Regional Medical Center and then flown by helicopter to St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown. He remained in critical condition although reports Friday indicated he had been breathing on his own.
“He had the kindest of hearts, ” Berger said. “He would do things for people and not let others know about his gestures.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.