After years of refusing to speak to the media while in prison, former congressman Jim Traficant recently broke his silence and sent our newsroom an exclusive letter. Traficant was convicted of bribery and racketeering, and has been in federal prisons since July of 2002. With his September release approaching, many are excited to see and hear from the man who was so outspoken during his trial.
Throughout the course of this handwritten 16-page letter, the only acknowledgement Traficant gives to his life in prison and the circumstances leading up to it is that he doesn’t want to talk about it. In spite of this, the letter provides a great deal of insight on the man himself. Instead of writing about prison or railing against the people who put him there, he instead reminisces about his glory days as a football player for the fledgling Cardinal Mooney High School in the late 1950’s. He remembers great plays and important coaches that had a large impact on his life. In addition to his letter, he sent us a postcard of his prison art and a 1960 Sports Illustrated photo of himself during his college football years. Read the letter for yourself (painting and image included) to get a look inside the ex-congressman's mind, or take a look at our archive of Traficant videos to catch up on his history.
View Letter
