Renegade ex-US Rep. Traficant out of prison Wednesday, faces uneven welcome home in Ohio

Renegade OH ex-Congressman out of prison Wednesday

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — A former Ohio congressman is scheduled to be released Wednesday from a federal prison in Minnesota after serving seven years for corruption.

Nine-term Democrat James Traficant (TRAF’-eh-kehnt) of Youngstown, now 68, will return to a hometown with ample evidence of federal aid he landed, including a highway, new federal courthouse and arena.

Still, he could face an uneven welcome as the city tries to move forward with a new generation of leaders.

Traficant was convicted in 2002 of bribery and racketeering for accepting bribes from businessmen and taking kickbacks from staff members. He then was expelled from Congress.

He had a reputation on Capitol Hill for his wild hair, bellbottom pants and one-minute floor speeches punctuated with the Star Trek comment, “Beam me up.”