[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. ____________________