Rick Renzi

Infobox_Congressman
name =Rick Renzi


date of birth= birth date and age|1958|06|11
place of birth= Fort Monmouth, New Jersey
death_date =
death_place =
state = Arizona
district = 1st
term_start = January 3, 2003
preceded = Jeff Flake
succeeded = Incumbent
religion = Roman Catholic
party = Republican
spouse = Roberta Renzi
alma_mater= Northern Arizona University
occupation= insurance executive
residence= Flagstaff, Arizona

Richard George "Rick" Renzi (born June 11 1958) is an American politician and has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 2002, representing ushr|Arizona|1|.

Renzi has pending Federal criminal charges against him for his involvement in a land-swap deal.cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/22/renzi.indictment/index.html | title=Arizona GOP lawmaker indicted | date=February 22, 2008] [cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/25/washington/25inquire.html | title=Congressman From Arizona Is the Focus of an Inquiry | author=David Johnston | publisher=New York Times | date=October 25, 2006] [cite news | title=Lawmaker's Influence in Land Deals Probed | author=Jonathan Weisman and Dan Eggen | publisher=The Washington Post |date=October 25, 2006 | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/24/AR2006102401715.html] On April 19, 2007, the FBI raided his family business, and he temporarily resigned from the House Intelligence Committee.cite news | title=FBI raids Renzi business; he vows full cooperation | publisher=Arizona Daily Sun | date=April 20, 2007 | url=http://www.azstarnet.com/news/179348] On April 27 Renzi denied printed claims he was considering resigning office; [cite news
title = Replacements waiting in wings as Renzi ponders resignation
publisher= Business Journal of Phoenix
url=http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2007/04/23/daily44.html
date=April 26, 2007cite news
title = Renzi Denies Resignation Rumors
url=http://www.rollcall.com/issues/1_1/breakingnews/18211-1.html
date=April 27, 2007
publisher=Roll Call] however, on August 23, Renzi announced he would not be a candidate for re-election in 2008. [cite news
title = Renzi Says He Will Not Seek Re-Election
publisher= Roll Call
url=http://www.rollcall.com/issues/1_1/breakingnews/19759-1.html
date=August 23, 2007cite news
title = Renzi Says He Will Not Seek Re-Election
url=http://www.rollcall.com/issues/1_1/breakingnews/19759-1.html
date=August 23, 2007
publisher=Roll Call] [J. Wilke, "Renzi Won't Seek Re-election as Federal Inquiry Broadens"Wall Street Journal p. A6 August 24, 2007] On February 22 2008 Renzi was indicted on 35 counts connected to land deals. [ [ http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ijDA5bgxiHlTvS_r-SSjskS1Tq1wD8UVEJJ00 Renzi Indicted] ] He pled not guilty.

According to the Congress.org 2008 Power Ranking Renzi is the least influental Representative [http://www.congress.org/congressorg/power_rankings/overall.tt] .

Early life, education, and family

Renzi was born to an Italian-American family [cite news | url=http://www.osia.org/public/legislative/congress.asp |title=The Italian American Congressional Delegation | publisher=Order Sons of Italy in America] in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. He attended high school in Annandale, Virginia, before moving to Sierra Vista, Arizona, in 1975, where his father, now-retired U.S. Army Major General Eugene Renzi, served at Fort Huachuca. Renzi graduated from Buena High School and then attended Northern Arizona University, receiving a B.S. in criminal justice in 1980. Renzi played football for NAU and was a starting offensive lineman.

Renzi's father was the executive vice president of Mantech International, a company providing information technology services to a number of intelligence and defense-related federal government agencies.

Renzi and his wife Roberta are the parents of 12 children, the most of any member of Congress. Additionally, all of his children have first names that begin with the letter R. [http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8030222]

Career prior to Congress

In 1989, Renzi started Renzi & Company (now called the Patriot Insurance Agency), [ [http://www.patriot-insurance.com/history.htm Patriot Insurance Company — "Our Mission and Profile"] , accessed October 23, 2006] a company that offers insurance to nonprofit organizations such as crisis pregnancy centers, pregnancy care clinics, maternity homes, PTAs, PTOs, and local service organizations. [ [http://www.patriot-insurance.com/prodsvcs.htm Patriot Insurance Company — "Products and Services"] , accessed October 23, 2006] In 2006, Renzi said that he decided to enter politics because of his experiences as a member of National Association of Professional Insurance Agents. Renzi was a property/casualty agent and a member of PIA of Virginia & D.C. He said his first taste of the political process was attending a PIA Federal Legislative Summit. "I had a chance to interact with a lot of the congressmen and Senators, and I fell in love with it", Renzi said. [ [http://www.pianet.com/NewsCenter/BizPolitics/4-11-06-5.htm "Rep. Rick Renzi, Former PIA Member, Says He Wouldn't Be in Congress Without PIA"] , National Association of Professional Insurance Agents website, dated April 12, 2006, accessed October 23, 2006]

Where Renzi lived and what he did in the 1986–1997 period is unclear. In a letter to the "Arizona Daily Sun" in July 2002, Renzi said "The only time I have not lived in Arizona is when I served our nation overseas on a Defense Department program, or when I entered law school at age 39" [which would be 1997 or 1998] . [http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2002/07/07/export1800.txt Letter from Rick Renzi] , published on July 7, 2002, "Arizona Daily Sun"] But according to an August 2002 "Associated Press" article, Renzi said that between college, starting in the late 1970s, and his return some 20 years later, he had lived in Flagstaff for only a total of seven years. The AP article also said "Renzi made much of his money while living in Burke, Virginia, about 20 minutes from downtown Washington. He has owned a $765,000 two-story, six-bedroom home on five acres there since 1991, according to Fairfax County, Virginia, property records."Scott Thomsen, [http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2002/08/17/export4388.txt "Kyl disputes Renzi's resume"] , "Associated Press", August 17, 2002]

In 1997 or 1998, Renzi began to take law courses at the The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. He finished his coursework in December 2001 and graduated with a J.D. in 2002. While he was studying law, he was an also an unpaid intern in Senator Jon Kyl's office for two months in 1999, and in 2001 he spent several months as an unpaid intern for Representative Jim Kolbe.

U.S. House of Representatives

Move to Arizona

Renzi moved his official residence from Virginia to Arizona in 1999, registering to vote in Santa Cruz County. In 2001, he bought a $216,000 home in Flagstaff, moving his voting registration there in December of that year.

In 2002, Renzi acknowledged that he returned to Arizona with the intention of running for Congress, but defended his state ties. He noted that between college and his return to Arizona, he lived in Flagstaff for a total of seven years. Renzi also said he owned more than convert|400|acre|km2|1 in northern Arizona through a real estate development and improvement business, in addition to a small vineyard and ranch in Sonoita, Arizona, west of Sierra Vista, in the 8th congressional district, and a home in Kingman. During the campaign, Renzi said "Let the chips fall where they may if I'm a carpetbagger." [ [http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11081956&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=6 "Renzi's finances could be trouble"] , TriValleyCentral.com, March 6, 2004] [ [http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=4471333&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=8 "1st District candidates play up their local roots"] , TriValleyCentral.com, June 17, 2002]

2002 election

Primary election

Renzi won a hotly contested Republican primary election against five other candidates; his closest opponents were Lewis Noble Tenney, a former Navajo County supervisor, and conservative radio personality Sydney Ann Hay of Munds Park. Renzi outspent his primary opponents by a substantial sum of money. He invested $585,000 of his own money and raised another $100,000 to run radio and TV ads throughout the district. [Adam Candee, "Renzi Loans Campaign $585,000 to Outspend Rivals," "Arizona Daily Sun", July 21, 2002] Renzi received 24.4 percent of the 46,585 votes cast in the Republican primary, with half of his votes coming from Yavapai County. [Frederic I. Solop and James I. Bowie, [http://www.apsanet.org/imgtest/PSJul03Solop.pdf "The 2002 Arizona First Congressional District Race" (pdf)] , PSOnline e-Symposium, July 2003]

The 2002 Democratic primary, also hotly contested, was narrowly won by George Cordova, a party outsider who ran against several better-known candidates supported by the Democratic National Committee. (There was no incumbent for the seat, in a new district created after the 2000 census gave the state two more Representatives.) [Scott Thomsen, [http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5338087&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=8 "Renzi wins; Cordova leads Udall"] , "Associated Press", September 11, 2002] [http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5039674&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=8 "Congressional candidates offer more answers"] , TriValleyCentral.com, August 14, 2002]

General election

Renzi received significant support from the national Republican party in the race: President Bush visited twice, including a fundraiser; Vice President Cheney appeared at a fund-raising luncheon; [Ananda Shorey, [http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5338087&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=8 "Bush campaigns for Salmon, Renzi"] , "Associated Press", October 28, 2002] ; Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton visited the district to support Renzi; [ Alan Levine, "Interior secretary visits CG in support of Renzi campaign", "Casa Grande Dispatch", September 17, 2006] and so did Mel Martinez, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. [ [http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5562613&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=8 "Mel Martinez"] , TriValleyCentral.com, October 1, 2002]

The campaign included the heavy use of negative advertising attacking Cordova, including accusing him of cheating investors out of $1 million in a failed business venture, failing to pay income and business taxes, and living in California. Cordova denied the charges but had no funds to buy many television ads to refute them. [Gary Ghioto and Michael Marizco, [http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2002/11/07/export9535.txt "Renzi edges Cordova"] , "Arizona Daily Sun", November 7, 2002] The Renzi campaign also made heavy use of automated telephone calls throughout the district with various claims and innuendos about Cordova. [Harold Kitching, [http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5717182&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=6 "Sparks fly in race for 1st District seat"] , TriValleyCentral.com, October 15, 2002] Renzi said of the $2 million spent on negative ads, that he "took no joy in any of that." Renzi said he had tried to tell the National Republican Congressional Committee that the negative ads were the wrong way to go. [Gary Ghioto and Michael Marizco, [http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2002/11/07/export9577.txt "Renzi disowns attack ads"] , "Arizona Daily Sun", November 7, 2002]

During the 2002 election campaign, Renzi proposed that Walnut Canyon National Monument in Northern Arizona be renamed the "National Park of the American Flag" with the addition an American flag theme to the park, including displays of U.S. flags throughout history. This was in response to proposals by local citizens that Walnut Canyon National Monument be expanded and given National Park status. Renzi's proposal was widely ridiculed, and he has not promoted it since.

On election day, Renzi defeated Cordova by 49 percent to 46 percent, a difference of about 6,000 votes.

Campaign finances

Renzi spent $436,590 of his own money on the election. In addition to large donations from his father's defense company, Mantech International, Mantech executives were the largest single source of outside money for the campaign. [cite web | title = Arizona District 1: 2002 Race Profile
url = http://www.opensecrets.org/races/contrib.asp?ID=AZ01&cycle=2002&special=N | publisher = Center for Responsive Politics | accessdate = 2007-02-05 ]

In 2004, the Federal Election Commission completed an audit of Renzi's campaign committee, "Rick Renzi for Congress." The audit found that Renzi's campaign overstated its cash on hand by about $64,000, and that employers or occupations for 200 contributors were not listed, though required by law. The FEC also concluded that the committee had illegally financed much of the campaign with $369,090 of loans that came from "impermissible" corporate funds. Most of those loans were part of the $436,000 that Renzi put into his own campaign.Sarah Fenske, [http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/Issues/2006-10-12/news/news.html "Deal Breaker: Congressman Rick Renzi and the very strange coincidence"] , "Phoenix New Times", October 12, 2006] Renzi was fined $1,000 in November 2005 by the FEC for underreported receipts stemming from what his campaign called a software glitch.

After further investigation, the FEC determined that Renzi had not used "impermissible" corporate funds for his campaign, and dropped its case against him. [cite news | author = Cole, Cyndy and Ferguson, J. | title = FEC drops probe of Renzi finances | publisher = Arizona Daily Sun | date = 2006-09-10 | accessdate = 2007-02-05 | url = http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2006/09/10/news/local/20060910_local_news_19.txt ]

2004 re-election

In preparation for the 2004 campaign, the Democratic Party in Arizona tapped Paul Babbitt, Coconino County commissioner and the brother of Bruce Babbitt, to run for the seat and pressured all other candidates with the exception of political unknown Bob Donahue to bow out of the primary in order to clear the way for Babbitt to run against Renzi without a costly primary contest. Paul Babbitt's campaign was named a top national priority by most major Democratic fundraisers and liberal weblogs, because a plurality of Arizona 1st Congressional District voters are registered Democrats and because Renzi won so narrowly in 2002. Unlike the Cordova campaign in 2002, which received only token support from the national Democratic Party organizations, the Babbitt campaign received major support; nonetheless, it was unable to match Renzi's fundraising. [cite web | publisher = Center for Responsive Politics | url = http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.asp?id=AZ01&cycle=2004 | title = Total Raised and Spent | work = 2004 Race: Arizona District 1 | accessdate = 2007-02-05 ]

2006 re-election

Renzi faced no opposition from his own party in the Republican primary. Five Democratic Party candidates, including Bob Donahue, Mike Caccioppoli, Susan Friedman, Ellen Simon, and Vic McKerlie, ran in the 2006 primary in September, which was won by Ellen Simon, an attorney and community activist. David Schlosser was also in the November general election on the Libertarian Party ticket. [cite news | title = Schlosser Offers Real Choice in Election for Arizona’s First Congressional District | work = SchlosserforCongress.org | url = http://www.schlosserforcongress.com/media-press/news_releases/06_0523.php | date = 2006-05-34 | accessdate = 2007-02-05 ]

Renzi won his re-election against Simon, 52% to 44%.

On August 23, 2007, Renzi announced he will not seek another term.

Issues and positions

In 2002, in response to a question about spiraling health care costs, Renzi said "In order to keep health insurance costs competitive, we must allow the self-employed to take annual tax deductions for their health-care costs. We must change the health insurance industry by allowing employees to purchase their own health-care policy. This would allow for personal ownership of health-care policies, which would provide portability, more choice and thus more competition, which leads to lower health-care premiums."

Renzi was named one of the American Legion's "Unsung Heroes" of the 108th Congress. American Legion National Commander John Brieden noted that "The 108th Congress passed a record increase in Department of Veterans Affairs health care funding for the current fiscal year, and it reduced the number of service-disabled military retirees subject to a 'disability tax' on their retired pay." Brieden said "I commend Representative Renzi for taking a leadership role in making that happen." [ [http://www.house.gov/list/press/az01_renzi/amleg.html "Renzi Receives Award From American Legion"] , press release from Renzi's office, March 12, 2004]

In 2004, Renzi and Representative Jon Porter introduced legislation to split the Ninth Circuit court, currently the largest circuit in the U.S., which includes Arizona, into three smaller circuits. John Ensign of Nevada introduced similar legislation in the Senate. [ [http://www.house.gov/list/press/az01_renzi/hr2427.html "Renzi Bill Will Remove Arizona from Jurisdiction of Ninth Circuit Court"] , press release, April 30, 2004]

Renzi is generally a supporter of expanded legal immigration into the United States and supports expansion of guest worker programs and the H1B visa. He does, however, strongly support using technology to enforce border security. [ [http://www.house.gov/renzi/immigration.shtml Renzi's position on Border Security] , Renzi's Congressional website, accessed October 22, 2006]

In June 2006, the House accepted an amendment proposed by Renzi to increase tribal law enforcement funding by $5 million and decrease spending for international organizations such as the United Nations by the same amount. [ [http://www.rickrenzi.com/newsandviews/view_article.cfm?ID=49 "Renzi Fights to Increase Tribal Law Enforcement Funding by $5 Million. Congressman offers Amendment to Strip Funding from UN and Give it to Tribes"] , Renzi press release, June 29, 2006]

On December 14 2005, he voted for the reauthorization of the Patriot Act. On June 29 2005, he voted for the increase of funds by $25 million for anti-marijuana print a TV ads.

Controversies

In September 2006, Renzi was named one of the "20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress" in a report by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a non-partisan watchdog group founded in 2005 by former Democratic congressional staffers. [Jim VandeHei and Chris Cillizza, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/16/AR2006071600882_pf.html "A New Alliance Of Democrats Spreads Funding"] , The Washington Post, July 17 2006] Renzi was also listed in the first report by the organization in January 2006, when he was one of 13 named members. The organization said "His ethics issues stem from the outside income earned by his administrative assistant and from legislation he sponsored that benefitted his father" [ [http://www.beyonddelay.org/summaries/blunt.php CREW summary of ethics issues of Renzi] , September 2006]

Father's company

Renzi has been criticized for consistently introducing and voting in favor of bills benefiting his father's defense company, ManTech International Corp., a Fairfax, Virginia-based defense contractor. [cite web | url = http://www.ourcongress.org/race/az01 | title = AZ-01: Message from Mike Caccioppoli | author = MikeCforCongress | publisher = OurCongress.org | accessdate = 2007-02-05 | date = 2005-09-01 ] Until his death in February 2008, [cite web | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/20/AR2008022002934.html | title = Eugene C. Renzi, 74; Major General | publisher = "The Washington Post" | accessdate = 2008-02-22 | date = 2008-02-21 ] Renzi’s father, Retired Major General Eugene Renzi, was an executive vice president of the firm. ManTech had $467 million in contracts at the Army's Fort Huachuca with options for an additional $1.1 billion between 2004 through 2008. In addition, the company, which has an office in Sierra Vista, Arizona, was the largest contributor to Renzi’s 2002 congressional campaign and the second largest in his 2004 campaign.

In 2003, Renzi sponsored legislation (signed into law in November 2003) that dealt hundreds of millions of dollars to his father’s business while, according to environmentalists, devastating the San Pedro River. The provision exempted Fort Huachuca, in Sierra Vista, Arizona, from maintaining water levels in the San Pedro River as called for in an agreement made in 2002 with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Renzi claimed he introduced the measure to prevent the closing of the Fort and to promote its enlargement. Neither the fort nor the river is located in Renzi’s Congressional district.

On October 25, 2006, just two weeks before Election Day, "The New York Times" reported that federal authorities have opened an inquiry into the case. According to the "Times", the "officials said the inquiry was at an early stage and that no search warrants had been issued, suggesting that investigators had yet to determine whether there was a basis to open a formal investigation or empanel a grand jury." [cite news | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/25/washington/25inquire.html | title = THE 2006 CAMPAIGN; Congressman From Arizona Is the Focus Of an Inquiry | publisher = New York Times | date = 2006-10-25 | first = David | last = Johnston | page = A-14 | accessdate = 2007-02-05 (preview only)] Federal investigators in Arizona said they faced unexplained delays in gaining approval from Washington to use certain investigative tactics in the year before the 2006 election. [J. Wilke, "Renzi Won't Seek Re-Election As Federal Inquiry Broadens" Wall Street Journal p. A6 August 24, 2007]

On April 19, 2007, the FBI raided his family business, and he temporarily resigned from the House Intelligence Committee.

On February 22, 2008, Renzi was indicted on multiple federal charges as a result of the investigation.

2005 land swap

According to the "Phoenix New Times", in 2002 Renzi sold off a half-interest in his real estate investment business to a fellow investor, James Sandlin, for $200,000. Renzi used the money for his 2002 congressional campaign. In 2003, Renzi sold the remainder of the business to Sandlin, for somewhere between $1 million and $5 million, according to financial records, retaining a "future development interest". [Dennis Wagner and Dan Nowicki, [http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0826renzi-legacy.html "Secrecy, scandal cloud Renzi era: Reclusive lawmaker leaves legacy of questions"] , "Arizona Republic", August 26, 2007]

In October 2005, three years after the business transaction with Sandlin, Renzi announced he'd be introducing a bill in Congress that would include a swap of land owned by Sandlin (not in Renzi's district) for federal land near Florence, Nevada. A week after Renzi's announcement, Sandlin sold his land for $4.5 million, a much higher price than he paid for it.

Renzi told the "New Times" that he did nothing wrong and that sometime after his announcement he recused himself from the bill after a lobbyist's questioned his connection to Sandlin. The land swap never became law.

In 2007 news came of another $200,000 payment that Sandlin made to Renzi, this one in 2005, that Renzi failed to report on financial disclosure forms. [cite news | title=Renzi didn’t reveal $200K | publisher=The Hill | author=Alexander Bolton | date=April 26, 2007 | url=http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/renzi-didnt-reveal-200k-2007-04-25.html]

On October 24, 2006, the "Associated Press" reported that the U.S. attorney's office in Arizona has opened an investigation into the land swap deal. The US Attorney for Arizona, Paul Charlton, had initiated the investigation in September 2006. [cite news | first = Max | last = Blumenthal | title = The Porn Plot Against Prosecutors | publisher = The Nation | date = 2007-03-20 | accessdate = 2007-03-21 | url = http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070402/blumenthal ]

John Wilke in the Wall Street Journal writes, [cite news | first = John | last = Wilke | title = Land-Swap Plan Causes Trouble For Congressman | publisher = Wall Street Journal | date = 2007-04-21 | accessdate = 2007-04-23 | url = http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB117708053389976977-lMyQjAxMDE3NzI3MDAyODAwWj.html ]

:"That investigation has now become a formal public-corruption probe by a federal grand jury in Tucson. On Thursday, the grand jury authorized a search warrant of a Renzi family business. Investigators have uncovered evidence that Mr. Renzi received a cash payment from his former business partner, funneled through a family wine company, after a second investor group pursuing an unrelated land swap agreed to pay $4 million for the alfalfa field, according to people contacted in the course of the two-year investigation.

:Mr. Renzi denies any wrongdoing and says that he intends to cooperate with the investigation. The search of the family business, he said in a statement Friday, is "the first step toward getting the truth out." His lawyer says the cash payment he received was to settle an unrelated debt.

:The case could add fuel to the firestorm over the Bush administration's firing of federal prosecutors late last year. Paul Charlton, the U.S. Attorney who had been overseeing the case, was among those dismissed at the behest of the White House. A spokesman for Mr. Renzi dismissed as "a political hatchet job" the suggestion that Mr. Charlton's firing was connected to the probe of Mr. Renzi. On Thursday, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales told Congress that none of the dismissals were politically motivated, and said the Justice Department is committed to battling corruption."

On February 22, 2008, a Federal Grand Jury in Arizona handed up a 35-count indictment charging with conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering extortion and insurance fraud.

Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy

After the land swap controversy was revealed, an unnamed official from the US Department of Justice cautioned the media not to jump to conclusions regarding the inquiry into Renzi, saying it "is not a well-developed investigation, by any means. A tip comes into the department. The department is obligated to follow up ... and we do that. People are assuming there is evidence of some crime," even though that is not necessarily true. The official added, "Be careful. I can confirm to you a very early investigation. But I want to caution you not to chop this guy's (Renzi's) head off." [cite news | first = Billy | last = House | title = Inquiry on Renzi: Real deal or campaign trickery? | publisher = Arizona Republic | date = 2006-10-26 | accessdate = 2007-02-05 | url = http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/congress/articles/1026renzi-tricks1026.html ]

According to the Arizona Republic, "The federal official would not discuss whether the Justice Department was being manipulated for political purposes. However, the official said it is unusual for the department to publicly acknowledge concerns about the accuracy of media reports." In the same story, the official said the Justice Department contacted at least two newspapers about "chunks of stuff in their stories that's wrong." [cite news | first = Billy | last = House | title = Inquiry on Renzi: Real deal or campaign trickery? | publisher = Arizona Republic | date = 2006-10-26 | accessdate = 2007-02-05 | url = http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/congress/articles/1026renzi-tricks1026.html ]

Shortly after initiating the investigation of Renzi, the US Attorney for Arizona, Paul Charlton, was added to a list of US attorneys the Justice Department wanted to remove, in an effort that would become the dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy. In February 2005, Charlton had been on the "retain" list of Kyle Sampson, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez's chief of staff, but "by September of 2006 — after it became clear that Charlton had launched an investigation of Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz, — Sampson included the Arizona prosecutor on another list of U.S. attorneys 'we now should consider pushing out.'" [cite news | first = Ron | last = Hutcheson | title = Emails detail plans for firing U.S. attorneys | publisher = McClatchy Newspapers | date = 2007-03-13 | accessdate = 2007-03-14 | url = http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/16897082.htm ] Sampson made the comment in a Sept. 13, 2006, letter to then-White House Counsel Harriet Miers. [cite news | first = Max | last = Blumenthal | title = The Porn Plot Against Prosecutors | publisher = The Nation | date = 2007-03-20 | accessdate = 2007-03-21 | url = http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070402/blumenthal ]

On March 19, 2007, the White House released 3,000 pages of records connected to the controversy, including emails sent by Charlton to the Justice Department about his dismissal. On Dec. 21, 2006, Charlton sent a message to Bill Mercer, the third-ranking official in the department, writing, "Media now asking if I was asked to resign over leak in Congressman Renzi investigation." Charlton never received a response. [cite news | first = Mike | last = Madden | title = Renzi inquiry at issue in ouster | publisher = Arizona Republic | date = 2007-03-21 | accessdate = 2007-03-21 | url = http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0321usattorney0321.html ]

The Wall Street Journal explained further allegations: that the Department of Justice intentionally delayed part of the investigation of Renzi until after the November 2006 election. They wrote:

The delays, which postponed key approvals in the case until after the election, raise new questions about whether Attorney General Alberto Gonzales or other officials may have weighed political issues in some investigations....

Investigators pursuing the Renzi case had been seeking clearance from senior Justice Department officials on search warrants, subpoenas and other legal tools for a year before the election, people close to the case said....

...the investigation clearly moved slowly: Federal agents opened the case no later than June 2005, yet key witnesses didn't get subpoenas until early this year, those close to the case said. The first publicly known search — a raid of a Renzi family business by the Federal Bureau of Investigation — was [n't] carried out [until April 2007] ....cite news | title=Delays in Renzi Case Raise More Gonzales Questions | author = John R. Wilke | coauthors=Evan Perez | date=April 25, 2007 | page=A2 | url=http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB117746770608481484-srrsK50Cy6ieok4EIJGcFSnMnek_20070502.html?mod=blogs]

Further, the Journal noted that investigators had lobbied Washington for clearance to tap Renzi's phone for months. That clearance was only given in October 2006, but unfortunately for the investigators, word broke of the investigation soon after, disrupting their wiretap.

On April 24, 2007, Renzi stepped down from the House Financial Services and Natural Resources committees, as more revelations connected him to the U.S. attorneys controversy. During that afternoon, Paul Charlton, the US Attorney from Arizona who was one of those fired, related to a House investigators that Brian Murray, Renzi's top aide, called Charlton spokesman Wyn Hornbuckle shortly after news of Renzi's investigation became public, asking for information on the case. Charlton, in turn, notified the Department of Justice about the call. Justice, in turn, had not previously notifed Congress of the contact. [cite news | title=Lawmaker Leaves Panels After FBI Raid | author=Jennifer Talhem | publisher=Associated Press | date=April 24, 2007 | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/24/AR2007042401667.html]

Employment of Patty Roe

In December 2005, Renzi hired Patty Roe, the wife of Jason Roe, the chief of staff of Representative Tom Feeney (R-FL), as his full-time administrative assistant. In that position, she is paid $95,000 per year. Renzi also pays her $5,000 per month ($60,000 per year) as a fundraising consultant (she ran her own consulting business before being hired by Renzi).

To be in compliance with the rules, Roe must be doing all her fundraising work before she clocks in to work as Renzi's administrative assistant, or after she checks out, and she can't make or receive a single fundraising-related call in her House office. Renzi's spokesman Vartan Djihanian said that this is the case: "Whatever fundraising she does," he said, "is on her time."

Roe also received about $30,000 in fundraising fees in 2006 from four other House members: Tom Feeney; Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Mario Diaz-Balart, both of Florida; and Patrick McHenry of North Carolina. Renzi's office said those payments were for services rendered in 2005. There is no evidence that Roe's activities are not in compliance with House ethics standards. [Ken Silverstein, [http://harpers.org/sb-the-patty-roe-story-1158246131.html "The Patty Roe Story: the interesting ethics of Congressman Rick Renzi"] , "Harper's Magazine", September 14, 2006.]

Reported floor fight

Renzi is an opponent of embryonic stem cell research. In May 2005, he engaged in an argument on the House floor with Congressman Mark Kirk (R-IL) The argument ensued after Renzi had learned that Kirk and the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership commissioned secret polling in the districts of Renzi and other members of Congress who oppose stem cell research. Renzi said, "I was yelling at him. I told him it's absolutely unprecedented that Republicans would pay for a push poll to attack another Republican on such a core belief of mine... You're not going to change my view on the issue, as a father of 12." [ [http://searclub.com/?page=news-article&id=1763 "RINO Group Running Push Polls in His District Infuriates Rep. Rick Renzi; Kolbe is a Member"] , "Arizona Republic", May 22, 2005]

Funds from DeLay's PAC

Renzi also received $30,000 in campaign contributions from former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's ARMPAC. [cite web | url = http://www.ourfuture.org/issues_and_campaigns/accountablecongress/delay/money9.cfm | title = Contributions from ARMPAC to 109th Members of Congress, 1994-2006 | work = DeLay's Money, Part 9 | publisher = Campaign for America's Future | accessdate = 2007-02-05 ]

Indictment

On February 22, 2008 Congressman Renzi was indicted on multiple federal charges. [ [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ijDA5bgxiHlTvS_r-SSjskS1Tq1wD8UVEJJ00 Republican Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi indicted on multiple federal charges, "AP", February 22, 2008] ] The charges include conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering extortion and insurance fraud.

Electoral history

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
+ ushr|Arizona|1|: Results 2002–2006cite web |url=http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html |title=Election Statistics |accessdate=2008-01-10 |publisher=Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives ] !|Year!!|Democrat!|Votes!|Pct!!|Republican!|Votes!|Pct!!|3rd Party!|Party!|Votes!|Pct!
-
2002|
Party shading/Democratic |nowrap|George Cordova
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |79,730
Party shading/Democratic |46%|
Party shading/Republican |Rick Renzi
Party shading/Republican align="right" |85,967
Party shading/Republican |49%|
Party shading/Libertarian |Edwin Porr
Party shading/Libertarian |Libertarian
Party shading/Libertarian align="right" |8,990
Party shading/Libertarian align="right" |5%|
-
2004|
Party shading/Democratic |Paul Babbitt
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |91,776
Party shading/Democratic |36%|
Party shading/Republican |Rick Renzi
Party shading/Republican align="right" |148,315
Party shading/Republican |59%|
Party shading/Libertarian |John Crockett
Party shading/Libertarian |Libertarian
Party shading/Libertarian align="right" |13,260
Party shading/Libertarian align="right" |5%|
-
2006|
Party shading/Democratic |Ellen Simon
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |88,691
Party shading/Democratic |43%|
Party shading/Republican |Rick Renzi
Party shading/Republican align="right" |105,646
Party shading/Republican |52%|
Party shading/Libertarian |David Schlosser
Party shading/Libertarian |Libertarian
Party shading/Libertarian align="right" |9,802
Party shading/Libertarian align="right" |5%|
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

References

External links

* [http://www.house.gov/renzi/ U.S. Congressman Rick Renzi] , U.S. House site
*Conglinks | Congbio=r000574 | fec=H2AZ01172 | opensecrets=N00024931 | votesmart=MAZ21558 | ontheissuespath=House/Rick_Renzi.htm | legistorm = | surge = | govtrack = | findagrave =
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rick_Renzi Profile] at SourceWatch Congresspedia
* [http://www.rickrenzi.com/ Rick Renzi for U.S. Congress] , Campaign site