Traficant: Artwork was gift to friend

Coffee mugs with reproductions of the artwork are now for sale.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Ex-congressman James A. Traficant Jr. says he gave his prison paintings to a New York friend as a gift and received "not one penny of remuneration."
Traficant's hand-written letter to Sybille Oelschlager is included in her response to a garnishment action brought by the federal government. Writs allow the government to determine if anyone is holding items of value for Traficant that could be used to satisfy his $150,000 fine. He still owes $120,000.
Oelschlager, in her response filed Monday in Cleveland federal court, denies that she holds property subject to the order of garnishment and contends she is therefore not liable as a garnishee.
Traficant, 64, of Poland, is incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minn. He has sent Oelschlager paintings, mostly of horses and barns, that he created in prison.
Her idea
Oelschlager, of Schuyler Falls, N.Y., Traficant's pen pal and fellow artist, has said she sold the paintings on eBay and the Web site beammeupart.com with the idea of giving some of the proceeds back to him for art supplies.
"I gave the paintings to you as a gift!!" Traficant wrote. "I have received no funds -- not one penny of remuneration, and I am still being pursued for moneys I have never seen!!"
Traficant said he is not an attorney. "But if I were you, I would not let them exercise such Gestapo tactics in this matter."
He also wrote that he was the No. 1 target of the U.S. Department of Justice. The last portion of the letter is mostly illegible.
He was sentenced to eight years in prison July 30, 2002. A jury in Cleveland federal court convicted him of racketeering, bribery, obstruction of justice and tax evasion. His projected release is Sept. 2, 2009.
For sale
The beammeupart.com Web site continues to promote eBay auctions of the prison paintings.
The site is now also offering for sale "Traficant artwork you can use" -- 11-ounce coffee mugs with reproductions of Traficant's paintings. One side of the mug is a watercolor barn scene and the other side is a Picasso reproduction.
The mugs sell for $15 plus $4.80 for shipping and handling.
The beammeupart.com Web site also gives Traficant's prison address for those who wish to make a donation via money order directly to him.