Traficant disqualified from seeking old seat

Fresh from a seven-year stint in federal prison, former Rep. Jim Traficant (D-Ohio) on Tuesday was short of the signatures needed to launch his bid for Congress.

Traficant was convicted of corruption in 2002 and released from jail in late 2009.  Recently, he had been trying to mount an Independent bid for Congress to run against his former aide, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio). But Traficant’s political adviser, Linda Kovachik, told The Associated Press the Trumbull County elections board ruled he did not collect the signatures required to get on the ballot for the fall midterm elections.

She said Traficant expected to repeal the decision. The former congressman had been gathering signatures for some time, but it became evident this weekend he would most likely come up short.

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