How many US senators and congressmen are convicted felons?

 I did not realize that there have been that many congress persons that have been charged and or convicted. I am appalled.  I wish others were more concerned with this than I suspect really cares. I found 43, now it that not what the Senate needs to block a bill? Alot of these people came back and became lobbyist. Is that allowed should it be, they are too close to the action and can they be trusted....

Do we really want someone back in Congress who served time for corruption charges, I do not think so. We have enough trouble in Congress without adding convicted felons back in.

DOES YOUR CONGRESSPERSON HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD?

Traficant misses key filing deadline to return to Congress

By Michael O'Brien - 02/20/10 04:30 PM ET

Former Rep. James Traficant (D-Ohio) missed the filing deadline to return to Congress this week.

Traficant, a Youngstown-area lawmaker who was expelled from the House in 2002 after being convicted on corruption charges, missed the Thursday deadline for candidates to file to run for Congress, according to a local NBC affiliate.

But missing the filing deadlines doesn't forestall the possibility of a Traficant comeback still this cycle.

A spokesman for WFMJ that Traficant had prepared filings for both Ohio's 6th and 17th congressional districts, but declined to file as a Democratic candidate. He could still file to run as an independent candidate in those districts by May 3, however.

The 17th district, Traficant's old seat, is now held by Rep. Tim Ryan (D). The 17th district is held by Rep. Charlie Wilson (D), where Traficant could have more of an impact as an independent in the district, which is seen as marginally favoring Republicans.

Traficant has flirted with returning to Congress since being released from prison in September of 2009. The former lawmaker, long a centrist member of congress, vowed to settle some scores with old enemies on both sides of the aisle if he were to return to Washington.

Sentences of other congressman convicted of crimes
Bakersfield Californian ^ | 3/4/06

Posted on Saturday, March 04, 2006 9:55:07 PM by NormsRevenge
Since the 1970s, more than a dozen congressmen have been convicted in criminal court. Their cases and sentences include:
- Rep. Andrew J. Hinshaw, R-Calif., spent a year in jail after being convicted in 1976 of accepting bribes when he was county tax assessor. He lost the primary election and resigned at the end of his term.
- Rep. Charles Diggs Jr., D-Mich., was convicted in 1978 of operating a payroll kickback scheme in his congressional office. He served seven months of a three-year prison term. He was re-elected, then resigned in 1980.
- Rep. Michael Myers, D-Pa., served 20 1/2 months of a three-year prison sentence for accepting bribes from FBI agents impersonating Arab businessmen. He was convicted in 1980 and expelled from Congress.
- Four other House members were convicted in the Arab businessmen bribery scandal: Democratic Reps. John Murphy of New York, Frank Thompson of New Jersey, John Jenrette of South Carolina and Raymond Lederer of Pennsylvania. Thompson and Murphy were sentenced to three years; Jenrette, two years; and Lederer, one year.
- Rep. Mario Biaggi, D-N.Y., was convicted in 1988 of extorting nearly $2 million from defense contractor Wedtech Corp. He resigned from Congress and served two years and two months of an eight-year sentence. He was defeated in his 1992 re-election bid.
- Rep. Mel Reynolds, D-Ill., was sentenced in 1995 to five years in prison for having sex with an underage campaign worker. He resigned from Congress, then was sentenced in 1997 to 6 1/2 years for bank fraud and other violations. The second sentence, which was to run at the same time as the first, was commuted in 2001 by President Clinton.
- Rep. Walter Tucker III, D-Calif., was sentenced in 1996 to two years and three months in prison for accepting and demanding bribes while mayor of a Los Angeles suburb. He resigned from Congress a week after his 1995 conviction.

- Rep. James A. Trafficant, D-Ohio, was convicted of 10 counts of bribery, conspiracy and racketeering, expelled from Congress and sentenced in 2002 to eight years in prison.
- Former Rep. William Jefferson nine-term Democratic member of Congress was sentenced Friday to serve 13 years in prison for what the lead prosecutor described as "the most extensive and pervasive pattern of corruption in the history of Congress."  Jefferson, 62, was found guilty Aug. 6 on 11 charges, including soliciting bribes, depriving citizens of honest service, money laundering and using his office as a racketeering enterprise.
- Former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham of California, sentenced for congressional corruption was eight years, four months meted out in March 2006.  who pleaded guilty to taking $2.4 million in bribes to help military contractors win government contracts.
- Rep. Bob Ney, Ohio’s 18th Congressional District, would eventually plead guilty to trading his services for gifts and campaign contributions from Jack Abramoff and his merry band of lobbyists. At the time, Ney held powerful positions as the Chair of the Committee on House Administration and on the House Committee on Financial Services.
- CORRINNE BROWN (D-FL) pursued by the IRS for $14,228 in unpaid taxes; investigations by the House Ethics Committee for possible acceptance of bribes; refused to file reports in the House about potential conflicts of interest while overseeing airlines she dealt with through her travel agencies; charged with money laundering.
- REP. ALBERT BUSTAMANTE (D-TX): Convicted in 1993 of racketeering and accepting an illegal gratuity.

- TONY COELHO (D-CA): Currently under investigation for fraud while serving as U.S. Commissioner General of Expo '98 in Lisbon, Portugal.* He was Al Gore's primary presidential campaign manager until he resigned citing health reasons.
- REP. WES COOLEY (R-OR): Convicted of falsifying VA loan applications. Paid $7,000 in fines plus court costs, and placed on probation. Subsequently tried to gather support to get re-elected to Congress.*
- REP. JERRY COSTELLO (D-IL):
- REP. BOB DORNAN (R-CA): In 1983 attempted to leave Grenada with a stolen AK-47. It was confiscated by the Army and destroyed.
- REP. WALTER FAUNTROY (D-DC): Financial disclosure misdemeanor (1995).
- REP. BARNEY FRANK (D-MA): Accessory to a male prostitute who ran a whorehouse in their Washington townhouse.
- REP. NEWT GINGRICH (R-GA):
- STATE REP. ALCEE L. HASTINGS (D-FL): From the 1998 Almanac of American Politics: "He was impeached by the House of Representatives by a vote of 426-3 in 1988 and convicted and removed from office by the Senate by a vote of 69-26. The impeachment arose from allegations that Hastings conspired with a friend to accept $150,000 for giving two convicted swindlers a break in sentencing. Hastings was acquitted in a criminal trial in 1983, but the friend was convicted. In the House, the case for impeachment was made by John Conyers, senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Removed from the bench, Hastings was unapologetic."
- SEN. JESSE HELMS (R-NC): In 1990, the Helms campaign sent out 125,000 postcards primarily to black North Carolina voters claiming that they might not be able to vote, and would be prosecuted for vote fraud if they tried. His campaign, the North Carolina Republican party, and four consulting and marketing firms were charged with violations of the Voting Rights Act. The Helms campaign signed an admission of guilt (claiming later that they didn't have the money to fight it in court), but Helms and his staff were never prosecuted.
- REP. CARROL HUBBARD (D-KY): Convicted in 1994 of misappropriation of funds.
- JAY KIM (R-CA): Convicted of accepting illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources.
- REP. GERALD KLECZKA (D-WI): Convicted of DUI in 1987; arrested for DUI in 1990 and 1995.
- REP. JOE KOLTER (D-PA): Fraud and conspiracy (1996).
- REP. NORMAN LENT (R-NY): In 1982 tried to have fifty counterfeit Rolex watches mailed to him from Taiwan.
- REP. DONALD E. "BUZ" LUKENS (R-OH): In 1989 was convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
- REP. NICK MAVROULES (D-MA): In 1991 pleaded guilty to charges of bribery and tax evasion.
- REP. EDWARD MEZVINSKY (D-IA): Indicted in March of 2001 on federal fraud charges. Claimed that he developed mental problems after using a malaria drug called Lariam. "Clearly, the responsibility lies with the manufacturers," claimed Mezvinsky's lawyer, Michael Barrett.*
- REP. JAMES MORAN (D-VA): Charged with spousal abuse, and assault and battery. A regular instigator of bar fights while mayor of Alexandria, VA, his position made him immune to arrest. Once said he thought about becoming a boxer because "I like to hit people."
- REP. AUSTIN J. MURPHY (D-PA): Vote fraud, including forgery, conspiracy, and tampering with federal records (1999).*
- REP. MARY ROSE OAKAR (D-OH): Charged with seven federal felonies related to financial-disclosure irregularities (1998).
- SEN. BOB PACKWOOD (R-OR): Charged with sexual harassment. Oddly enough, many of the women named as harassees defended Senator Packwood.
- REP. CARL PERKINS (D-KY): In 1994 pleaded guilty to filing a false financial-disclosure statement, conspiracy to file false statements with the Federal Election Commission, and bank fraud. Sentenced in March of 1995.
- CHARLIE ROSE (D-NC): Financial disclosure irregularities (1994).
- REP. DAN ROSTENKOWSKI (D-IL): Illegally converted official funds to his personal use and mail fraud; accused in 1996 of embezzling $700,000 from the federal government, he was charged with 13 of the original 17 counts against him. Went to prison after serving in Congress; now back in Washington working as a lobbyist.

- REP. LARRY SMITH (D-FL): In 1993 was convicted of income tax evasion and campaign-reporting violations.
- REP. PAT SWINDALL (R-GA): In 1988 was convicted of perjury.

- REP. J.C. WATTS (R-OK):
- CHARLES WILSON (D-TX): In 1995 was forced to pay a $90,000 fine to the Federal Election Commission