Timeline: Political Life of James Traficant

The political life of former Rep. James Traficant, D-Ohio:

1980: Elected sheriff of Mahoning County, Ohio. Gains national attention for refusing to enforce foreclosure orders on homes of unemployed steelworkers.

1983: Acquitted of federal bribery and tax evasion charges. Traficant said he took money from mobsters as part of a one-man sting operation while he was sheriff.

1984: Elected to the House.

1987: U.S. Tax Court rules he owes $108,000 in taxes for the $163,000 he accepted from mobsters in 1980. Traficant's paychecks are garnisheed by the Internal Revenue Service.

2000: Announces during his re-election campaign that he has turned over telephone, rent and payroll records to investigators in a federal corruption probe. Elected to ninth term.

2001: Votes to re-elect Republican Dennis Hastert as House speaker, angering fellow Democrats, who then strip him of committee assignments.

May 2001: Pleads innocent to 10-count federal indictment that includes charges of bribery, conspiracy and racketeering.

Feb. 5: Trial begins in U.S. District Court in Cleveland.

April 11: Traficant convicted of all counts. House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt calls for his resignation and the House ethics committee announces it will consider the charges.

April 22: Traficant files an appeal in federal court in Cleveland asking for the verdict to be overturned and a new trial convened because of judicial misconduct.

May 6: Traficant files for re-election as an independent.

June 25: A federal judge rejects Traficant's request for a new trial.

June 27: House ethics panel issues a 10-count list of alleged violations of House rules committed by Traficant.

July 15: Ethics panel begins hearing into whether Traficant is guilty of the 10 violations of House rules.

July 24: House votes 420-1 to expel Traficant.

July 30: Traficant sentenced in U.S. District Court in Cleveland to eight years in prison and taken into custody.