Empty chairs for members of Congress and prospective witnesses are seen behind Rep. James Traficant, D-Ohio, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, July 15, 2002 prior to a House Ethics Committee hearing. Traficant told a House ethics panel considering whether he should be expelled from the House that he was innocent of the fraud, bribery and tax evasion that a jury convicted him of, and that he is being persecuted by the Justice Department.
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