News
Traficant discusses casinos, Congress at press conference
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - It sounds like Jim Traficant is running for Congress again. Traficant held a news conference this morning, telling reporters he will take out petitions to run for office in 3 Ohio Congressional districts.
Wednesday, December 16th 2009, 5:38 PM EST
Updated:
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - It sounds like Jim Traficant is running for Congress again. Traficant held a news conference this morning, telling reporters he will take out petitions to run for office in 3 Ohio Congressional districts. He wouldn't say which districts, but they are most likely the 6th Congressional district which includes most of Mahoning County, the 17th which includes Trumbull County and possibly the 16th district which includes Akron. Traficant said he's evaluating his level of support in each district and could make a decision about whether he will run in January.
This was the first news conference for the ex-Congressman, now a convicted felon, since his release from a federal prison in Rochester, Minnesota in September where he served 7 years on bribery and racketeering charges.
Traficant's main reason for meeting with reporters was to announce his plans to develop an Indian Casino in the Mahoning Valley. Traficant says he's working with an organization he called the "Indigenous Tribal Affiliates of Native America" to develop the plan which would include a casino and resort. Details on that group were not immediately available. Traficant says the project would cost between $85 and 100 million dollars and funding would come from equity banks and interested private investors.
Traficant did not reveal a location for the project, except to say it is in the Mahoning Valley. He added he will take the project outside of the region if it does not meet with support locally.
Traficant also asked local unions to stop picketing a non-union grocery store chain. Nemenz IGA stores have been the target of union pickets. Partly as a result of the pickets, the Poland IGA store closed last fall.
Traficant also expressed his support for Youngstown boxer Kelly Pavlik, encouraging people to attend Pavlik's fight against Miquel Espino at the Beeghley Center on the YSU campus this Saturday.
21 News will have the entire press conference available at wfmj.com.