CLEVELAND — Rep. James Traficant, whose brash talk and loud clothes set him apart amid Washington's pinstripes and polish, was indicted Friday on federal charges of selling local political favors and making his office employees work his farm.

        The 59-year-old conservative Democrat from the Youngstown area faces 10 counts, including racketeering, conspiracy to commit bribery, taking illegal gratuities and filing a false tax return.

        Mr. Traficant won re-election in November to his ninth two-year term, even though he had repeatedly said he expected to be indicted.

Traficant

        Just before the indictment was announced, the congressman said: “I'm as frightened as anyone can be. I'm going to say this to the U.S. attorneys: You'd best defeat me, because if I beat you, you'll be working in Mingo Junction.” Mingo Junction is a small, remote Ohio town.

        Among other things, he is accused of making three of his office workers bale hay, run and repair farm equipment, repair barn walls and build a corral at his horse farm just outside Youngstown, a Rust Belt city plagued by decades of mob corruption.

        He is also accused of doing local political favors for a businessman and for contractors who had been hired to work at his farm. Also, he allegedly received part of a staff member's pay to allow the man to continue working for him.

        In addition, the indictment alleges Mr. Traficant and his wife did not report all of their income in tax years 1998 and 1999.

        If convicted on all charges, Mr. Traficant could get 63 years in prison and $2.2 million in fines, and the House could vote to expel him.

        In a statement, Mr. Traficant said the charges were brought by “overzealous bureaucrats” who employed “pressure and intimidation.”

        The U.S. Justice Department has been investigating corruption in the Youngstown area for several years. Since the first indictments in 1997, more than 70 people have been convicted, including a judge, a prosecutor, a sheriff and a Traficant aide.

        Mr. Traficant said he would defend himself in court, though he is not a lawyer. He did the same thing in 1983 when he was acquitted of accepting mob bribes while Mahoning County sheriff. He lost a U.S. Tax Court case in 1987 stemming from the same issues.

        Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Morford, the lead prosecutor in the Youngstown-area corruption cases, had no comment on the indictment.

        Mr. Traficant was first elected to Congress in 1984 and became known for his unruly head of hair, his plaid pants, his colorful blazers with contrasting white stitching and his provocative, arm-waving theatrics on the House floor.

        He is known to bellow “Beam me up!” to show his disgust at something in government. The tax code is a frequent target. He once declared: “The White House will not wise up until there is a Chinese rocket stuffed right up their assets.” And he cited “pantyhose crotch closer” as an example of bad jobs left for Americans.

        He is the only member of the House without a committee assignment. He was denied a committee seat by the Democrats after voting for Republican Dennis Hastert as speaker of the House.

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