e-Edition

Comments?

Rate this story

Email this story

Print this story

Renzi pleads innocent to all charges

By ERNESTO PORTILLO Jr.
Arizona Daily Star
Wednesday, March 05, 2008

TUCSON -- U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Flagstaff, faced the same challenge as any citizen when he arrived at federal court Tuesday to enter a plea on 35 counts of money-laundering, fraud and extortion.

As he passed through the metal detector he was stopped by a guard and asked to remove his belt. Once he made it into the courtroom, the three-term congressman pleaded innocent to all the charges.

During his arraignment, which took less than 10 minutes, federal magistrate Bernardo P. Velasco released Renzi without requiring bail, on his promise to show up for his trial. Renzi answered in a clear and firm voice he understood the conditions of his release.

Velasco set his trial for April 29, although Renzi's attorney said it will difficult to complete pre-trial preparations by then.

After the hearing, U.S. marshals fingerprinted Renzi, who was dressed in a dark blue suit and red tie.

Outside the courthouse reporters peppered Renzi with questions. Although his lawyer, Reid Weingarten, of Washington, D.C., said the congressman would not answer questions, Renzi did.

Renzi, a Republican, said he will remain in Congress, and with his legal team he will be OK. There have been demands Renzi resign his seat, including one from Gov. Janet Napolitano.

Renzi will not seek re-election this year for the seat in the vast, largely-rural district that stretches from the state's northern border to the Pinal County line.

Weingarten fended off the resignation calls. Renzi is "a Congressman each and every day" and will continue to do his duty and serve his constituents, said Weingarten, a former chief of the Justice Department's public-integrity section.

The high-profile attorney has successfully represented other well-known defendants, including Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy, in the Clinton administration, who was acquitted of corruption charges, and Ron Carey, the former head of the Teamsters, also acquitted of corruption charges.

Weingarten said the facts of the case will come out in court in his client's favor. "Stay tuned for the specific facts," he said.

Federal prosecutors indicted Renzi last month on 35 counts for allegedly using his position to further the sale of some Cochise County land, from which he benefited financially.

Prosecutors also allege Renzi embezzled $400,000 in premiums paid through his insurance company to finance his 2001 congressional campaign.

Renzi, 49, is a graduate of Buena High School in Sierra Vista, not far from the San Pedro River site where the land is located.

Contact reporter Ernesto Portillo, Jr. at 573-4242 or eportillo@azstarnet.com

---

»Subscribe to the Arizona Daily Sun

---

---

---

---

Print this story

Email this story

Return to News