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Rick Renzi
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 1st district
Incumbent
Assumed  office  January 7, 2003–
Preceded by	Jeff Flake
Succeeded by	Incumbent
Born	June 11, 1958 (1958-06-11) (age 48) Fort Monmouth, New Jersey
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Roberta Renzi
Religion	Roman Catholic

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 2003, representing Arizona's 1st congressional district (map). He is currently under federal investigation for his involvement in a land-swap deal. ^[1][2]. On April 19, 2007, the FBI raided his family business, and he temporarily resigned from the House Intelligence Committee.^[3] On April 27 Renzi denied printed claims he was considering resigning office.^[4] Image File history File links Current_event_marker. ... from house. ... Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the Senate. ... Official language(s) English Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area  Ranked 6th  - Total 113,998 sq mi (295,254 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Arizonas 1st Congressional district is the tenth largest congressional district in the nation. ... The incumbent, in politics, is the current holder of a political office. ... January 7 is the seventh day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jeffry Flake (born December 31, 1962), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 2001, representing the 6th District of Arizona (map). ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... CECOM Crest Fort Monmouth is a United States Army post in Eatontown, New Jersey. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the Senate. ... Arizonas 1st Congressional district is the tenth largest congressional district in the nation. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 248 days remaining. ...

Early life, education, and family

Renzi was born to an Italian-American family ^[5] 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. Logo of Sons of Italy, which is the largest Italian American fraternal organization in the United States. ... CECOM Crest Fort Monmouth is a United States Army post in Eatontown, New Jersey. ... Annandale is an unincorporated place in Fairfax County, Northern Virginia, United States. ... Sierra Vista is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, USA. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 41,908. ... USAF security troops on a training exercise on Fort Huachuca. ... Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public university in Flagstaff, Arizona in the United States. ... Criminal justice system flowchart Criminal Justice refers to the system used by government to maintain social control, prevent crime, enforce laws, and administer justice. ...

Renzi's father is now 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 13 children, the most of any member of Congress. Additionally, all of his children have first names that begin with the letter R, except for Michelle, because the family "just literally ran out of names that start with R." [1]

Career prior to Congress

In 1989, Renzi started Renzi & Company (now called the Patriot Insurance Agency),^[6] a company that offers insurance to nonprofit organizations such as crisis pregnancy centers, pregnancy care clinics, maternity homes, PTAs, PTOs, and local service organizations. ^[7] 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.^[8] A crisis pregnancy center is a non-profit organization, generally established by Christian pro-life supporters, as a means of encouraging pregnant women not to have abortions. ...

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].^[9] 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."^[10] Burke is a census-designated place and an unincorporated community located in Fairfax County, Virginia. ... Fairfax County is a county in Northern Virginia, in the United States. ...

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 ^[9] 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.^[10] The Catholic University of America (abbreviated CUA), located in Washington, D.C., is unique as the national university of the Roman Catholic Church and as the only higher education institution founded by U.S. Roman Catholic bishops. ... This page is about the current Arizona Senator; for his father, a U.S. Representative from Iowa, see John Kyl; for a U.S. Representative from Mississippi with a similar name, see John Kyle. ... James Thomas Jim Kolbe (born June 28, 1942) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, having served since 1985. ...

2002 election to the 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. Santa Cruz County is located in the south of the U.S. state of Arizona. ... Nickname: City of Seven Wonders Location in Coconino County the state of Arizona Coordinates: Country United States State Arizona County Coconino County Mayor Joseph C. Donaldson Area    - City 63. ...

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 400 acres in northern Arizona through a real estate development and improvement business, in addition to the 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." ^{[10] [11]} Sonoita is a census-designated place located in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. ... Sierra Vista is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, USA. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 41,908. ...

Primaries

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. 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.)^{[12] [13]} A primary election is an election in which voters in a jurisdiction select candidates for a subsequent election (nominating primary). ... Former Vermont Governor Dr. Howard Dean is the current Chairman of the DNC. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal campaign and fund-raising organization affiliated with the United States Democratic Party. ...

General campaign

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;^[14]; Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton visited the district to support Renzi;^[15] and so did Mel Martinez, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.^[16] George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton Gale Ann Norton (born March 11, 1954) served as the 48th United States Secretary of the Interior, serving under President George W. Bush. ... Melquíades Rafael Mel Martínez (born October 23, 1946) is a Cuban-born American politician, currently a United States Senator from Florida and has agreed to head the Republican National Committee, after the partys current chairman, Ken Mehlman, steps down. ... The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, often abbreviated HUD, is a Cabinet department of the United States government. ...

The Renzi campaign was criticized for the heavy use of negative advertising attacking Cordova, which the cash-strapped Cordova campaign was unable to match. The Renzi campaign also made heavy use of automated telephone calls throughout the district with various claims and innuendos about Cordova.^[17] Renzi said most of the negative advertising had been placed by the Republican National Committee without his permission.^{[citation needed]} Bush/Cheney, 2004 campaign manager Ken Mehlman is the current chairman of the RNC. The Republican National Committee (RNC) provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. ...

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. Walnut Canyon National Monument is a United States National Monument located about 10mi north east of Flagstaff, Arizona. ... Northern Arizona is dominated by the Colorado Plateau, the southern border of which in Arizona is called the Mogollon Rim. ... Flag ratio: 7:12; nicknames: Stars and Stripes, Old Glory The flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars... Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, UK A national park is a reserve of land, usually declared and owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. ...

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 executives, were the largest single source of outside money for the campaign.^[18]

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. ^[19] Renzi was fined $1,000 in November 2005 by the FEC for underreported receipts stemming from what his campaign called a software glitch. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency created in 1975 by Congress to administer and enforce campaign finance legislation in the United States. ...

FEC allegations dropped

After further investigation, the FEC determined that Renzi had not used "impermissible" corporate funds for his campaign, and dropped its case against him.^[20]

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.^[21] Coconino County is located in the north central part of the state of Arizona. ... Bruce Edward Babbitt (born June 27, 1938), a Democrat, served as United States Secretary of the Interior and as Governor of Arizona. ... This article is about a type of web application. ...

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."^[13]

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." ^[22]

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. ^[23] Jonathan Christopher Jon Porter (born May 16, 1955), an American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 2003, the first representative elected from the new 3rd Congressional district of Nevada, which includes much of suburban Las Vegas. ... The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States district courts: District of Alaska District of Arizona Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of California District of Guam District of Hawaii District of Idaho District of Montana... John Eric Ensign (born March 25, 1958) is the junior United States Senator from Nevada. ...

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. ^[24] A foreign worker (cf expatriate), is a person who works in a country other than the one of which he or she is a citizen. ... The H-1B visa program allows American companies and universities to employ foreign scientists, engineers and programmers in the United States. ...

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. ^[25]

2006 re-election campaign

Renzi faced no opposition from his own party in the Republican primary. Five Democratic Party candidates 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.^[26] The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... Ellen S. Simon is an American politician who is running as a Democrat for Congress in Arizonas 1st congressional district against the Republican incumbent, Rick Renzi. ...

In mid-August 2006, CQPolitics changed their rating of this race from Safe Republican to Leans Republican.^[27] The most recent Cook Political Report rating was: Leans Republican.

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

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 nonpartisan watchdog group founded in 2005 by former Democratic congressional staffers.^[28] 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" ^[29] Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a Washington, DC-based advocacy organization which professes to fight corruption by U.S. government officials. ...

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.^[30] Renzi’s father, Retired Major General Eugene Renzi, is 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. Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia County Independent City Founded 1805 Mayor Robert Lederer Area    - City 16. ... USAF security troops on a training exercise on Fort Huachuca. ... Sierra Vista is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, USA. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 41,908. ...

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 the 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. The San Pedro River is a south to north running river, flowing from the northern Mexico state of Sonora, 140 miles north where it meets with the Gila River in south central Arizona. ... Sierra Vista is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, USA. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 41,908. ... The San Pedro River is a south to north running river, flowing from the northern Mexico state of Sonora, 140 miles north where it meets with the Gila River in south central Arizona. ... The USFWS logo The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a unit of the United States Department of the Interior that is dedicated to managing and preserving wildlife. ...

On October 25, 2006, just two weeks before Election Day, The New York Times reported that Renzi 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."^[31]

On April 19, 2007, the FBI raided his family business, and he temporarily resigned from the House Intelligence Committee.^[3] April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ...

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. After Renzi was elected, he sold the remainder of the business to Sandlin, for somewhere between $1 million and $5 million.

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 land swap of some land owned by Sandlin (not in Renzi's district) for federal land near Florence where a developer wanted to build. 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.^[19]

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.^[32]

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.^[33] Paul Charlton (b. ...

John Wilke in the Wall Street Journal writes, ^[34] The Wall Street Journal is an influential international daily newspaper published in New York City, New York with an average daily circulation of 1,800,607 (2002). ...

"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."

Nickname: The Old Pueblo Location in Pima County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: Country United States State Arizona Counties Pima Mayor Bob Walkup (R) Area    - City 505. ... Paul Charlton (b. ... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ... In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ... Alberto R. Gonzales (born August 4, 1955) is the 80th and current Attorney General of the United States. ...

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."^[35] The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is a Cabinet department in the United States government designed to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. ...

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."^[36] The Arizona Republic is a newspaper published in Phoenix, Arizona. ...

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.'"^[37] Sampson made the comment in a Sept. 13, 2006, letter to then-White House Counsel Harriet Miers.^[38] Paul K. Charlton was one of eight U.S. attorneys fired by the Bush administration in 2006 for performance-related issues under a controversial clause of the PATRIOT Act (see Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy). ... The dismissal of U.S. Attorneys controversy, also referred to as Attorneygate,[1] is an ongoing political dispute concerning the dismissal of eight United States Attorneys by the George W. Bush administration in late 2006 and early 2007. ... D. Kyle Sampson was the Chief of Staff and Counselor of US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. ... Alberto R. Gonzales (born August 4, 1955 in San Antonio, Texas, USA) is the current United States. ... Harriet Ellan Miers (born August 10, 1945 in Dallas, Texas) is an American lawyer, and former White House Counsel. ...

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.^[39]

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 Wall Street Journal is an influential international daily newspaper published in New York City, New York with an average daily circulation of 1,800,607 (2002). ... DOJ headquarters in Washington, D.C. Justice Department redirects here. ...

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]....^[40] Seal of the United States Department of Justice The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see 28 U.S.C. Â§ 503) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. ... Alberto R. Gonzales (born August 4, 1955) is the 80th and current Attorney General of the United States. ...

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 of 2006, but unfortunately for the investigators, word broke of the investigation soon after, disrupting their wiretap.^[40]

On April 24, 2007, Renzi stepped down from the House Financial Services and Natural Resources committees, as more revalations 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.^[41] April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (115th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... Paul Charlton (b. ...

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). Thomas Charles Feeney III, usually known as Tom Feeney (born May 21, 1958), is a Republican politician from the state of Florida. ...

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.^[42] Lincoln Diaz-Balart (born August 13, 1954), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993, representing the 21st District of Florida (map). ... Mario Rafael Diaz-Balart (born September 25, 1961) is an American politician. ... Patrick Timothy McHenry (born 22 October 1975) is a Representative from the 10th Congressional district (map) of North Carolina. ...

Reported floor fight

Renzi is an opponent of embryonic stem cell research. In May of 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." ^[43] Mouse embryonic stem cells. ... Mark Steven Kirk (born September 15, 1959) has been a Member of Congress since 2001, representing the 10th District of Illinois (map). ...

Funds from DeLay's PAC

Renzi also received $30,000 in campaign contributions from former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's ARMPAC.^[44] The Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives acts as the leader of the party that has a majority control of the seats in the house (currently at least 218 of the 435 seats). ... Thomas Dale DeLay (born April 8, 1947) is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Sugar Land, Texas. ... Americans for a Republican Majority also ARMPAC, a Political Action Committee formed by former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. ...

References

The Center for Responsive Politics is a non-partisan, non-profit research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics, and the effect of money on elections and public policy. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the Gregorian calendar (254th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (81st in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... April 23 is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (114th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... For the Lebanese political coalition, see March 14 Alliance. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (81st in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (81st in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (81st in leap years). ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... Campaign for Americas Future is an American non-profit for progressive ideas and action. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

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• U.S. Congressman Rick Renzi official House site
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Federal Election Commission - Richard G. Renzi campaign finance reports and data
• On the Issues - Rick Renzi issue positions and quotes
• OpenSecrets.org - Rick Renzi campaign contributions
• Project Vote Smart - Representative Richard 'Rick' Renzi (AZ) profile
• SourceWatch Congresspedia - Rick Renzi profile
• Washington Post - Congress Votes Database: Rick Renzi voting record
• Rick Renzi for U.S. Congress official campaign site