[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 71 (Friday, June 9, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E955-E956]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   FURTHER EVIDENCE OF NEED TO CREATE INDEPENDENT FEDERAL AGENCY TO 
                   INVESTIGATE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. JAMES A. TRAFICANT, JR.

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 9, 2000

  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, earlier this year I introduced 
legislation, H.R. 4105, to establish an independent federal agency to 
investigate allegations of wrongdoing on the part of Justice Department 
personnel. As part of my ongoing efforts to have this important 
legislation enacted into law, I have been investigating allegations of 
wrongdoing within the Justice Department that have not been 
appropriately and completed investigated and prosecuted.
  One of the incidents I uncovered occurred in my own Congressional 
District, and it involves serious allegations of misconduct on the part 
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation agents in Youngstown, Ohio. The 
attached sworn affidavit makes serious allegations that should be 
aggressively investigated by the Justice Department and Congress.

    State of Ohio, County of Trumbull--Affidavit of James A. Kerchum

       After having been duly sworn in accordance with law, I, 
     James A. Kerchum, hereby depose and say:
       (1) I, James A. Kerchum, was an active participant of the 
     Mahoning Valley Corruption Task Force during the approximate 
     period of February 1998 thru April 23, 1999.
       (2) During the period of February 1998 thru April 23, 1999, 
     I primarily planned and

[[Page E956]]

     worked with the following people: Louis Slay, Director 
     Supervisor U.S. Dept. of Justice; Anthony Sporanza, Special 
     Agent FBI; Mike Cizmar, Special Agent FBI; Pete Proach, 
     Special Agent FBI; Wally Sines, Special Agent FBI; and Dennis 
     Direnzo, Agent BCI & I
       (3) During the hereinabove written time period I was 
     primarily a paid informant for the FBI and my FBI Code Name 
     was Cheeze 1. My main FBI contact was Special Agent Mike 
     Cizmar.
       (4) During the hereinabove written time period, FBI Special 
     Agent Mike Cizmar related the following to me:
       (a) Congressman Jim Traficant was the FBI's number one 
     target across the United States because he beat them in a 
     Federal Court in Cleveland, Ohio in 1983 and that he was an 
     embarrassment to the FBI.
       (b) The FBI investigated Jim Traficant from the time he was 
     the Mahoning County Sheriff and that the FBI was going to get 
     him one way or another.
       (c) When you go to Quantico, Virginia there is one special 
     class you take and that's on getting Jim Traficant.
       (d) If I got Jim Traficant, they would build a monument for 
     me in Washington, D.C.
       FBI Special Agent Anthony Sporanza also made statements in 
     support of the hereinabove written.
       (5) Within the herinabove written time period FBI Special 
     Agent Mike Cizmar asked me to kill Girard, Ohio Police 
     Detective Anthony Zuppo.
       Further Affiant Sayeth Naught.

       

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