Former Rep. James Traficant

Former Rep. James Traficant, whose signature line during House floor speeches was “Beam me up!” and who was expelled from Congress in 2002 following his conviction on federal corruption charges, died after being injured in a farm accident.

Local news reports said Traficant had been moving a tractor on his daughter’s farm in Greenford, Ohio, when it toppled over on him.

Traficant was taken to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

Traficant, a Democrat, was a hugely controversial figure during his nine terms in the House.

From his checkered past with mobsters, to demanding kickbacks from staffers, to a flamboyant personal style. In a town that has seen its share of corrupt figures — from Duke Cunningham to Jesse Jackson Jr. — Traficant stood out as one of the most unusual.

“I forfeited my future, and I didn’t give a damn what they did to me. And from this day forward, I don’t give a damn what anybody does to me. I’m going to say what I think is right; I’m going to do what I think is right,” a defiant Traficant told Fox News after his release from prison in 2009.

“And if it offends some people, then so be it. You see, because I’m still, I guess, the same jackass I was.”

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https://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/james-traficant-dies-73-111373