CLEVELAND Traficant money trail leads to credit union

At one time, the ex-congressman had a sizable amount in the credit union.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
CLEVELAND -- The government is after funds Jim Traficant may have in the Wright Patman Congressional Federal Credit Union.
Federal prosecutors, in tracking ownership of personal and real property and income sources, have been filing liens and writs of garnishment. The liens and writs allow the government to determine if anyone is holding items of value for Traficant that could be used to satisfy the imprisoned ex-congressman's debt.
Traficant, 61, of Poland, owes a $150,000 fine (plus interest) levied by the judge who sentenced him to eight years in prison in July. Found guilty of racketeering and tax evasion, he also owes a $96,000 forfeiture and nearly $20,000 to the IRS.
Recent filings
Writs of garnishment were filed recently in U.S. District Court against Traficant and Wright Patman Congressional Federal Credit Union. The filings were not immediately available.
In observance of the holiday, the WPCFU was not open Tuesday, according to a recorded message.
The WPCFU is a member-owned, nonprofit financial cooperative that serves the U.S. House of Representatives and other select employee groups. The credit union does not have stockholders; excess earnings are returned to the membership in the form of better rates and low-cost services.
Traficant served as 17th District representative until July 24, when the House expelled him in his ninth term. In November, he lost an independent bid from prison in Pennsylvania to recapture the seat.
Disclosure forms
Financial disclosure forms Traficant filled out for 2002 show that he had between $1 and $1,000 in the credit union. In 1999, the amount claimed was between $15,000 and $50,000.
Earlier this month, a garnishment was filed against Traficant's daughter, Elizabeth Traficant Chahine, 30, of Boardman, who consigned 80-plus items for sale at auction. The Traficant memorabilia brought in net proceeds of $10,314.
Chahine and her mother were at the U.S. attorney's office last week to give depositions about their finances. They brought along files of documents requested by prosecutors.
Youngstown attorney Don L. Hanni Jr. said afterward that only a few of items sold at auction were determined to be Traficant's, not his daughter's. Most of the items came from Traficant's horse farm in Greenford, which is in Chahine's name.
A second writ of garnishment was also filed recently against Chahine. Hanni said Tuesday that he had not yet received the filing.
Hanni's daughter, Youngstown attorney Heidi Hanni Wolff, who represents the Traficant women, could not be reached Tuesday.
meade@vindy.com