Joel Hefley: “I would just sum up with a few statements at this point. This is no rush to judgment. We have been struggling with this…”

“I would just sum up with a few statements at this point. This is no rush to judgment. We have been struggling with this for some time. Most of my colleagues have not been as intensely involved with it, nor should you be, because you have other responsibilities and you have given us this responsibility. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant) is not getting 30 minutes to defend himself. He is getting 30 minutes here on the House floor. He had 5 hours before the committee, and it amounted to a great deal more than that because we gave additional time for him. He had the entire hearing process to defend himself. The gentleman that just spoke said he had not had time to really study it and understand. Well, the trial transcripts have been on the Internet for at least a week. Monday, the exhibits and the transcripts were all delivered to Members' offices. We are busy, and I know it is hard to have time to go through, and it is volumes of material, so I am not criticizing anybody for that, but my colleagues have heard tonight from the members of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, members that have been deeply and intensely involved in this over the last few weeks and months, as a matter of fact. And not one member of that committee did I sense was out to get Jim Traficant. I sensed no hint of partisanship in that hearing.”