CLEVELAND — U.S. Rep. James Traficant told a federal court he has evidence showing prosecutors broke rules to build a case against him, but he is afraid to reveal the evidence in public.

        Mr. Traficant asked the court for a secrecy arrangement, one day after government prosecutors said he should be stopped from “cluttering” the court with allegations of prosecutorial misconduct for which he has no supporting evidence.

        Mr. Traficant — who is not an attorney but is representing himself against 10 charges of bribery and racketeering — filed three motions in August asking the court to remove Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Morford from the case.

        The Youngstown Democrat accused Mr. Morford of “a pattern of mammoth misconduct” by threatening witnesses with indictments if they would not testify against the congressman. Mr. Traficant said he wants to call Mr. Morford as a witness in his trial, which is to begin Feb. 4.

        Judge Lesley Wells ordered Mr. Traficant to submit his evidence of misconduct by Sept. 7. The congressman in late August pro duced several witness statements about the conduct of the case, none of which stated Mr. Morford told them to lie.

        Friday afternoon, Mr. Traficant filed a new motion asking for more time to produce the evidence, or a secrecy arrangement that would prevent public release of the documents he claims to have.

        “Defendant ... is leery of publicly filing further sensitive evidence and materials ...,” Mr. Traficant wrote, for fear the government “will attempt to subvert this evidence through further intimidation of witnesses and other misconduct.”

        Mr. Traficant said the U.S. attorney's office has leaked sensitive information to the press in an attempt to turn potential jurors against him.

Saving My Gal Sal
Taft searches for school funds
Decision means Ohio to pay millions more
Candidates hash it out
Bells come to towns
DeWine, Pepper lead fund-raising
Priest guided future XU president
Child support scofflaw ordered to prison
Teen-ager recovering from lightning strike
Tristate A.M. Report
Turpin High apologizes for slurs
HOWARD: Neighborhoods
MCNUTT: Warren County
Ballot suit thrown out
Board seeks leader widely
Diversity goes suburban
Hamilton man sues Bayer over medicine
Yorkies and owners strutting their stuff
Dispute over lot may cost suburb
Shooting suspect, 84, ends standoff
Traficant claims he has secret evidence
AIDS' spread among blacks raises flags
Budget cuts hit schools, welfare
Circus mix: thrills, animals, nostalgia
Kentucky News Briefs
Ky. doctor accused of over-prescribing Oxy
Meth labs broken up; 3 charged
Nunn joins a full field
Patton defends office payroll
Photographer didn't stay grounded
Son succeeds dad as Murray State head