SEE BELOW THE FOLD FOR UPDATES.Last updated: 10/25 @ 6:02am PDT/9:02am EDT.
It's official. Rep. Rick Renzi is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney's office for his involvement in a land deal. The story broke just moments ago on the AP wires:
WASHINGTON - A land deal involving Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., is being scrutinized by the U.S. attorney's office in Arizona, a law enforcement official in Washington said Tuesday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity while the inquiry is ongoing, said the investigation has been under way for a few months and is still in its very early stages.The official did not specify what land deal was under investigation.
A spokesman for the Arizona U.S. attorney, Paul Charlton, said he could not confirm or deny an investigation was under way.
Renzi also declined to comment, referring questions to his lawyer, former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods.
The story here is this: We're weeks away from an election in a critical district. We have a Congressman who won't debate. We have a Congressman who has a history of corruption, of breaking or bending ethics laws, of proposing legislation to benefit his friends and associates.
He's slipped by before, under the radar, when the FEC should have brought out his audit before the election, not after. The voters were denied a chance to get the full story on Renzi before they went to the polls last time. And it could happen again, here. I'm glad the source came forward with the story and hope that voters will pay attention--it's important.
UPDATE (8:44pm PDT/11:44pm EDT): Thank you to all of you who have recommended this diary and have taken the time to comment. For those of you who aren't as familiar with this race as others, take a moment to read up on it. We have a fabulous Democrat, Ellen Simon, running for this seat. Even with all the negative news about Renzi, it's a tough fight. Please take a moment to help the campaign. They kindly ask that you: Read. Volunteer. Donate. And of course, I ask you to Googlebomb--Renzi is part of the list.
UPDATE (9:14pm PDT/12:14am EDT): The story is exploding. TPM Muckraker has 3 separate stories on the front page about this, about not one, but two probes, one being the land deal mentioned in the AP article above, the other a story about Renzi using his position in Congress to push a bill that dealt millions to his father's company, Mantech. That story is in tomorrow's New York Times:
Federal authorities in Arizona have opened an inquiry into whether Representative Rick Renzi introduced legislation that benefited a military contractor that employs his father, law enforcement officials said Tuesday.
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. . . .
Law enforcement officials said that the most serious accusation involved Mr. Renzi's sponsorship of legislation in 2003 that appeared to indirectly benefit the ManTech International Corporation, a communications company based in Virginia that employs Mr. Renzi's father, Eugene, a retired Army general, as executive vice president. . . . Employees of the company were the largest contributors to Mr. Renzi's campaign in 2002 and the second-largest in 2004.
For the shorthand on Renzi and Mantech, see
CREW's summary. They've named Renzi one of the "most corrupt" Congressmen for the last two cycles in a row because of it. Stay posted for further developments.
UPDATE (6:02am PDT/9:02am EDT): The Washington Post has the story, along with a nice big photo of Renzi campaigning with Bush:
U.S. prosecutors in Arizona have opened a preliminary investigation into whether Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) twice pressured landowners to buy a 480-acre parcel owned by his former business partner, a major backer of Renzi's political campaign, according to federal law enforcement sources.
The deal ultimately netted the business partner a $3 million profit, according to Arizona land records.