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CNN Live At Daybreak

Jury Deliberates on Traficant Corruption Trial

Aired April 09, 2002 - 05:46   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In Cleveland this morning, jury deliberations resume in the corruption trial of Ohio Congressman James Traficant. He is defending himself in the trial which some say is more like a circus than a legal showdown.

Our congressional correspondent Kate Snow reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Traficant's one prop for the closing argument, a role of toilet paper. Fingerprints don't stick to porous toilet paper, he told the jury, but they should stick to paper and envelopes. So why, he asked, didn't the FBI find his fingerprints on key government evidence, things like envelopes prosecutors said were used to deliver kickbacks? Traficant questioned the credibility of several prosecution witnesses who had been given plea-bargains in exchange for their testimony, and he wanted to know why the government never tried to catch him on video or audio tape surveillance. It was, some said, his peak performance.

RICHARD LILLIE, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY: We know that he's capable of giving good speeches. I mean he gives these really witty and incisive speeches on the House floor so we know that when he's prepared or when his staff has assisted him in preparing he can do it. Well he was prepared today.

SNOW: Much of the time Traficant yelled at jurors, ranting about the FBI, "They've gotten so powerful they can put a case up on you and scare you and scare your wife and scare your kids and take your property. My response," he said, "take this! This is one American who doesn't want to hear it."

Through it all, the judge smiled patiently, only occasionally reprimanding the congressman. As usual, his arguments were laced with profanity like his comments to reporters afterward.

REP. JAMES TRAFICANT (D), OHIO: Everybody has a style. I'm just the son of a truck driver. And, quite frankly, I'm tired of the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) and they brought it forward.

SNOW: In contrast, the lead prosecutor was calm, precise, offering six binders filled with documentation. He reminded the jury of one former aide who testified he gave 2,500 bucks a month to Traficant out of his $60,000 salary. Other congressional staffers said they were sent to work on Traficant's horse farm, businessmen testified they did free construction at the farm in exchange for political favors.

"Are all of these witnesses lying?" Morford asked jurors. "Could the documents be lying? And then look at the pattern that is repeated again and again."

Traficant has repeatedly belittled Morford, once saying in court he had the testicles of an ant.

CRAIG MORFORD, ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY: I haven't responded up until now, I'm not going to respond (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you glad to have it done?

MORFORD: Yes.

SNOW: Although Cleveland may miss the daily spectacle.

TRAFICANT: I'm not a normal congressman, am I?

SNOW (on camera): Not your typical congressman, and perhaps, if he's convicted, not a congressman at all anymore, but that's still a very big if. On any of the 10 counts against Traficant, all it would take is one juror with doubts to stop a guilty verdict.

Kate Snow, CNN, Cleveland, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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