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Jim Traficant: 'I'm going to run'
Former Rep. Jim Traficant (D-Ohio) says he is “going to run” for Congress once again in 2010.
The colorful former congressman from Youngstown was released from federal prison in September after serving a 7-year stint on corruption charges.
Traficant made the announcement in front of roughly 30 members of the Youngstown Biz Society during a speech to the group in a local restaurant, according to the Business Journal Daily.
The former congressman did not say whether he would run for his old seat — currently occupied by Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, a former aide to Traficant — saying only, “I’m going to run for Congress somewhere.”
Traficant also said he has committed to speaking at a February event in Washington sponsored by the American Free Press, though he is not sure if the terms of his parole will allow him to travel.
The invitation, Traficant said, is part of an effort to encourage him to run for president.
“There’s a group out of Washington, and in several cities around the country, that want to bring back the old Reform Party, combine it with the tea party and bring the Libertarians in and everybody, and they want me to run as an independent for president,” Traficant said.
“I told them I think you’re all getting high smoking dope. And you know what they told me? They said, ‘to the contrary, you have a base following in all 48 contiguous states,’” he said. “So I’m going to address a group down there Feb. 13, unless the government says I can’t travel. And if they do that, we’ll hold it in Cleveland.”
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The colorful former congressman from Youngstown was released from federal prison in September after serving a 7-year stint on corruption charges.
Traficant made the announcement in front of roughly 30 members of the Youngstown Biz Society during a speech to the group in a local restaurant, according to the Business Journal Daily.
The former congressman did not say whether he would run for his old seat — currently occupied by Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, a former aide to Traficant — saying only, “I’m going to run for Congress somewhere.”
Traficant also said he has committed to speaking at a February event in Washington sponsored by the American Free Press, though he is not sure if the terms of his parole will allow him to travel.
The invitation, Traficant said, is part of an effort to encourage him to run for president.
“There’s a group out of Washington, and in several cities around the country, that want to bring back the old Reform Party, combine it with the tea party and bring the Libertarians in and everybody, and they want me to run as an independent for president,” Traficant said.
“I told them I think you’re all getting high smoking dope. And you know what they told me? They said, ‘to the contrary, you have a base following in all 48 contiguous states,’” he said. “So I’m going to address a group down there Feb. 13, unless the government says I can’t travel. And if they do that, we’ll hold it in Cleveland.”
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