Renzi Breaks Silence: Bush Administration Tried To Rig My Election And ‘Needs To Be Investigated’
Renzi Breaks Silence: Bush Administration Tried To Rig My Election And ‘Needs To Be Investigated’
Late last month, the FBI raided the home of Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) as part of its “two-track investigation” into the congressman “regarding a land deal, as well as a piece of legislation he helped steer that may have improperly benefited a major campaign contributor.” The House Ethics Committee has signaled that it too may now investigate Renzi.
Renzi’s case was opened by former U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton, who was fired as part of the Bush administration’s purge. In Oct. 2006, word leaked to the media about the investigation. Renzi’s top aide, Brian Murray, then called Charlton’s spokesman Wyn Hornbuckle to inquire about the investigation. Such calls are highly improper and potentially illegal.
Yesterday in an interview with Phoenix’s KPNX, Renzi spoke for the first time since the FBI raid and said that he believes he is being smeared by the Justice Department. He refused to take any responsibility for the land deal, instead charging — without any evidence — that the leaks on the investigation were “lies.” He added that “to make that up and put that out means the Department of Justice was engaged in electioneering and that needs to be investigated.” Watch it:
Renzi also defended Murray’s phone call to Charlton’s office, even though calls from lawmakers and their staffs to U.S. attorneys about ongoing investigations are potentially illegal. “All he’s doing is calling the public relations department and saying what is this? What’s going on here? He left a message on a telephone machine,” he stated. Two other ousted U.S. attorneys — John McKay and David Iglesias — also received phone calls from federal lawmakers pressuring them on investigations.
He added that for “anyone to conjure up that this somehow affected Mr. Charlton being fired, is just political theater.”
Transcript:
HOST: The congressman admits that this has been a tough time for him, and he says he’s learning who his true friends are. But he’s also alleging that he’s a victim of a smear campaign by the U.S. Department of Justice.
In Washington, DC, where nobody is immune from scrutiny, Arizona’s third-term congressman, Rick Renzi, finds himself the focus of a public corruption investigation. He insists his role in a controversial land deal, was ethical.
RENZI: It was absolutely in the public interest. It was absolutely in the best interest of the state of Arizona.
HOST: Earlier this month, FBI investigators served a warrant at a southern Arizona insurance company owned by Renzi’s family. Investigators are reportedly looking at whether Renzi profited from a piece of land near Sierra Vista, linked to his legislation. The land is owned by former business partner James Sandlin.
RENZI: He’s a good friend, and a very honest man, a very competent man.
HOST: Renzi also went on the offensive, claiming the Department of Justice leaked lies about him and his father when he was up for re-election.
RENZI: And to make that up and put that out means the Department of Justice was engaged in electioneering and that needs to be investigated.
HOST: Renzi also responded to congressional testimony by former U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton. Renzi’s chief of staff contacted Charlton’s office when news of the Renzi investigation first leaked out last fall.
RENZI: All he’s doing is calling the public relations department and saying what is this? What’s going on here? He left a message on a telephone machine. So for anyone to conjure up that this somehow affected Mr. Charlton being fired, is just political theater.
Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date
70 Responses to “Renzi Breaks Silence: Bush Administration Tried To Rig My Election And ‘Needs To Be Investigated’”
Register
RSSLogin
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog RollAbout Think ProgressContact Us
Donate
Look over there! The Justice Department!
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:18 pmCome on you greasy little pig, squeal.
Hating the Repukian Mafia daily
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:19 pmwhatever Bushco does is fine with me
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:20 pmwhatever Bushco does is fine with me
whatever Bushco does is fine with me
whatever Bushco does is fine with me
whatever Bushco does is fine with me
”
“
And another Republican loses it and babbles in public. I’m gonna need more popcorn.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:23 pmRenzi apprears to be using DARVO:
Deny
Attack
Reverse
Victim and
Offender
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:28 pmThe headline is misleading. Renzi probably believes that either Charlton or some then-unpolitized branch of DOJ’s public corruption office were the parties trying to “rig” his election, not the White House.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:28 pmIt’s funny when the politicians cry about politics being the influence. Heh.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:29 pmSo that’s all it takes to get them talking? Just interrogating them?
Hell, then let’s get investigations started on everyone in Congress and see what comes out in the wash…
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:31 pmNothing more satisfying than when rattlesnakes start killing each other!
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:31 pmHow is the right wing corporate owned media going to spin this one???? They are such ridiculous liars - surely the public is going to put them out of business - soon I hope.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:33 pmAny competent chief of staff to an incompetent member of Congress would know that a proper call to a USA is made only through the DOJ. Renzi is just dreaming that he can stay in Congress or out of jail.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:35 pmWot? No waterboarding?
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:37 pmThe corruption of the last 6+ years is staggering.
The Bush Regime has infiltrated every part of the political system.
Why more people aren’t appauled and just plain livid is beyond me.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:37 pmI am so confused. This guy is a Republican. (Note to self: What was your first clue? That he was engaged in a crooked land deal?) Why would the Republican Justice Dept. try to rig the election against him?
He’s full of shit. Hmm, that might be another clue that he is a Republican.
Please visit the Schapira blog, What we know so far …
“… and tell ‘em Big Mitch sent ya!”
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:38 pmDon’t drop the soap, Renzi.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:38 pmRenzi shore has a purty mouth.
They’re gonna love him in prison…
ALL NIGHT LONG!
Squeal like a pig, Renzi!!
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:43 pmTom3,
eeeeewwwwwwwww!
;)
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:44 pmCalling all liberals and progressives, the republicans are starting to implode, sit back and enjoy the show!
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:45 pm#6 Badger, you silly! You think that there is difference between the WH and DOJ. Gonzo did not stop being WH counsel when he took the AG job, he just moved his office.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:47 pmI like the carmel popcorn. Not good for the waistline, but damn, its the best for kicking back and watching Repubs implode.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:49 pmTHis guy pretty much came out of no-where. With big GOP dollars to get him elected. He doesn’t even live in AZ for kryst sakes. He started as a carpetbaggin, teabaggin, redneck moron. He had to get the mullet chopped. I saw a clip of him with a mullet and a wife beater on. It’s not on YOuTUbe. But the clip was out when he was running for his first term. I will never forget the mullet and wife-beater Rick.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:51 pmI think you’ve got a serious misread hear, Amanda, or at least a partial one. Renzi’s not saying tht the Bush admin. needs to be inveastigated, but the “Justice Department” - meaning Paul charlton. He’s actually trying to give cover to himself and the WH at the same time, though he did it awkwardly.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:52 pmJust so one little piece of the world knows - I freaking hate rape-in-prison jokes.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:53 pmOoooo… this is getting really exciting.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:53 pmI know, prison rape jokes are not nice.
But when they involve Repukes, I can’t help it.
Repuke crooks actually DESERVE it.
Of course you can’t rape the willing, in Karla Rove’s case.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:57 pmRenzi you better cut back on the hooch. You’re not making too much sense. And no, that is not somebody else’s fault either.
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:59 pmGOP = POS
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:59 pmThom,
I dislike (intensly) jokes of anything sexually violent.
Plus when anyone refers to a woman as the “c” word.
Thanks for speaking up.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:00 pmWow the rethugs are really getting beat up from every direction. Who’s up for kicking them while they’re down?
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:00 pm“OOHH, the wheels on the bus fell off, off, off,…off, off, off. The wheels on the bus fell off, off, off… all the session long.”
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:02 pmHere in Northern Arizona, we’ve suffered from this twerp and others just like him for years; another carpetbagger given a gerrymandered district that denies real representation for our region (remember Hayworth?). His crooked shenanigans have been known for some time, but the real estate crowd and the developers loved him.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:02 pmOur only hope is that if we keep flushing, the turd will go down.
So now we got the “blame game” and “brownie’s lament” spilling from another Republican. Nothing but a bunch of complainers and whiners. Didn’t they realize that the truth would catch up with them?
Marie - yeah, I agree gop=pos (and that’s not an abbreviation for positive)
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:04 pmjay - Next election, Arizona will be BLUE. There’s still hope, my friend.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:06 pmI will never forget the mullet and wife-beater Rick.
Comment by ForTruth
Renzi was also the one fooling around and flirting with Kathleen Harris on the floor of the house. Video caught them cuddling.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/10/25/16636/882
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:07 pmBush and the Neocons did 9/11. Never in history has fuel melted steel.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:14 pmThey also destroyed the Freeway in Oakland too to cover up 9/11!
Ain’t it beautiful though? Now if only Bush would start attacking Cheney and Cheney would fight back with his permanent snarl. THAT would be beautiful folks. I’d even buy a ticket to that fight.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:15 pmwayne,
I’ve seen the “canoodling” video. It’s good, but the mullet video is the most telling to me. I can’t find it. I’m sure it was too embarrassing for Ricky.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:29 pmAlright Gerald,
Tell me more about the Oakland freeway.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:33 pmAin’t it beautiful though? Now if only Bush would start attacking Cheney and Cheney would fight back with his permanent snarl. THAT would be beautiful folks. I’d even buy a ticket to that fight.
Comment by Ben Dover — May 2, 2007 @ 6:15 pm
But really, wouldn’t all that slapping from two grown men just be embarrassing.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:37 pmI agree with Badger. Renzi is obviously indicating that Charleton’s investigation (and the subsequent leak) were politically motivated and had to do with somehow defeating Renzi’s reelection. Interesting theory…but one would wonder why a Republican U.S. Attorney would be trying to deep-six another Republican’s campaign? Strange theory.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:49 pmgee I wish we had one of them fancy telephone machines!
anyone else sick of hearing about “political theater” this week?
finger-pointing is fine, when it’s accurate… hopefully more Republicants will realize what Bush has done to their party and the country and turn on him…
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:49 pmForTruth: You got it….it’s the GOP Mantra - DARVO - at it’s finest! It’s amazing, however, when the reversal of victim and offender have to do with indictment of the DOJ….they’re now DARVO-ing their own. The new GOP “cannibalism”.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:50 pmBush and the Neocons did 9/11. Never in history has fuel melted steel.
They also destroyed the Freeway in Oakland too to cover up 9/11!
Comment by Gerald Gibson Jr.
It seems to me the Oakland freeway incident confirms that fuel indeed does melt steel. Besides, it doesn’t have to actually melt the steel, it just has to weaken it. There was a lot of fuel in those jets.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:51 pmRenzi’s caught in the squeeze…..damned if he does/damned if he doesn’t. He has already implicated the DOJ in all of this. Maybe he’ll turn witness for the prosecution soon?
BTW, where’s “GannonGate”????? Next weeks’ “scandal of the week”…hopefully.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:51 pmI did just see on a previous thread where Cheney is calling Bush naive…soon he’ll be calling him an idiot and then the fur shall fly.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:52 pmmaybe Renzi is saying that not going after a democrat is rigging the electionn against a repub? naa, he’s just another greasy redneck
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:58 pmI believe americans are suspicious of anything that occurs these days - accidental or not. The fact that scientists are disputing falls into the category of types of fuel - jet fuel vs. other types of fuel. As well, the theory of the “improbable collapse” has to do with the “pancake effect” - something statistically improbable and possibly impossible without the aid of “alternate explosive sources”. Go to 911truth.org and I believe you can see the scientific data regarding the WTC and how it was built to remain standing despite a hit by an airliner. It’s pretty convincing and more scientists are weighing in daily on this “improbable collapse”. As far as the tanker in California, people now believe anything and since the scientific theories are making the news, it’s not entirely implausible that something would be “staged” just for the effect it has on the logical minds of the people. Again, trust absolutely NOTHING. What you see is NOT what you get. It’s all a staged production of “smoke and mirrors” these days. Today, skepticism is not only an attribute of a healthy mind; it’s an essential attribute or you will find yourself duped by those whom you trust and not know how it could possibly have occurred.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:59 pmReiz is taking a page out of Pres Bush’s Lame Explanations book:
“My problems are someone else’s fault! Investigate them!”
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:59 pmI see the Renzi situation as “eating his own” since he’s now backed into a nasty little corner himself. Expect plenty more of this as Bush’s house of cards implodes from the inside out.
BTW, did anyone see the lame clip of Dubya and Laura on American Idol last night? Good grief - they both looked like they’re ready for the retirement home - especially Laura! She appears to have aged about ten years in the past several months. That’s what living with a liar does to someone, I guess. Their appearance was absolutely r-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s!!
May 2nd, 2007 at 7:03 pm“In Oct. 2006, word leaked to the media about the investigation.”
Who leaked the investigation? Someone in Alberto’s office or Karl? Because the only way Renzi knows is if someone is trying to help sabotage the investigation from the inside.
May 2nd, 2007 at 7:04 pmI missed American Idle last night, and I loved totally forgetting abou it.
May 2nd, 2007 at 7:31 pmWhat is JUSTICE, now? It seems the lying machine.
May 2nd, 2007 at 7:45 pmI missed American Idle last night, and I loved totally forgetting abou it.
Comment by ForTruth
HAA!
I can proudly state I have never seen one of those ghastly shows!
May 2nd, 2007 at 8:12 pm:)
I can proudly state I have never seen one of those ghastly shows!
:)
Comment by trueblue
Me too, thank goodness. I hate “reality” shows.
May 2nd, 2007 at 8:18 pmAnd I suppose Renzi will say next that he was framed and point his fingers at, well, whoever happens to be standing by.
May 2nd, 2007 at 8:47 pmFor the latest PurgeGate news, document dumps, email archives, hearing transcripts and other essential materials in the firings of U.S. attorneys, see:
May 2nd, 2007 at 8:48 pm“The U.S. Attorney Scandal Documents Center.”
POPCORN TIME!!! This is getting good, the vipers are biting each other.
May 2nd, 2007 at 8:55 pmWanted:
30 or 40 pissed off rattlesnakes to throw in a pit with Herr Renzi to see if he can charm them, pet them, after all, he is one with them in spirit.
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:40 pmCongress should pass a Bring Home the Troops appropriation bill, not an Iraq War appropriation bill
Instead of sending Bush any form of Iraq War appropriation bill, Congress should send him a nice fat “Bring Home the Troops” appropriation bill. Give him no money at all for the war, and as much money as is needed to protect the troops and get them out of there.
The “abandoning our troops on the battlefield” accusation is lying bullshit, and appropriating money to get them off the battlefield would show that
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:11 pmIt seems to me the Oakland freeway incident confirms that fuel indeed does melt steel. Besides, it doesn’t have to actually melt the steel, it just has to weaken it.
Comment by Zooey #43
…may I be the first to say…
…that post secondary education…
…is doing wonders for your deductive reasoning skills… :-)
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:30 pmRenzi is not about to fall on his sword.
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:17 pmAt some point, Renzi will start blaming Clinton, the left, the media for his ethics problems.
Gotta love the party of moral values.
May 3rd, 2007 at 2:36 amThe Republican Reich: 2000-2006.
May 3rd, 2007 at 6:39 amSomeone getting investigated by the DOJ just said the DOJ are criminals who need investigating instead.
May 3rd, 2007 at 7:54 amWhat spin do you think is required ?
Fox, CNN, and msnbc (maybe not olbermann) will just ignore the Renzi story. Look over there, American Idol, Immigration and are Americans losing sleep? Next up on CNN, Sanjay Gupta pulls a dingleberry out of his ass with his tweezers.
May 3rd, 2007 at 8:42 amanything that is ‘fox-affiliated’ is another cheap vehicle for spilling right-wing bile.
May 3rd, 2007 at 10:37 amNico. Amanda, Faiz, et al. Please accept my compliments for the diligent job you do exposing the “politics” of conservatives and Republicans. Now would you be so kind as to show Progressives and conservatives what your ideology ADVOCATES? (I got it - you’re against ANYTHING conservative or Republican - but what do candidates you embrace stand FOR?)
Hint to all: The danger Progs and Dems face in the ‘08 election is NOT giving swing voters ANYTHING to vote FOR. We know what you are AGAINST……
You’re welcome…..
May 3rd, 2007 at 10:46 amI went to college w/ Renzi at Northern Arizona Univ my freshman year in ‘77.
May 3rd, 2007 at 11:39 amHe was in my dorm.
He was on the football team and was best known for starting fights with people smaller than him and beating the hell out of them.
He was a total psycho.
Everyone hated him and smaller people feared him because you never knew when he would just go off on somebody.
He really enjoyed it too.
I rode in the elevator many times and watched him victimize people in close quarters.
“What’r you lookin’ at?”__that sort of thing.
I was a starter on the wrestling team and often hoped that he would come after me.
I would have defended myself.
Sadly, he never did.
Guess I wasn’t an easy target so he left me alone.
These allegations don’t surprise me because he’s just the same guy he always was.
Looking at the evidence, he’s definitely going to jail.
Justice, at last.
it’s the hot new catch-phrase, apparently. I think only “the blame game” got more mentions than “political theater.”
Can I get my money back for the tickets?
May 3rd, 2007 at 11:49 amRenzi 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, except for Michelle, because the family “just literally ran out of names that start with R.”
Hee hee hee hee… what da ya want for nothing? … a RRRRRRRubber biscuit?
Bow bow bow…
May 3rd, 2007 at 1:52 pm