Dennis Wagner

The Republic | azcentral.com

Former U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi%27s criminal conviction and prison sentence were upheld

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals did not address whether Renzi should begin serving his time

Defense attorneys say they will %22seek further appellate review%22

Former U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi's criminal conviction and prison sentence were upheld Thursday by a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The appellate tribunal rejected multiple legal arguments filed in Renzi's appeal. An opinion authored by Judge Richard Tallman begins: "Congressmen may write the law, but they are not above the law. Former Arizona Congressman Richard Renzi learned this lesson the hard way."

The judges' ruling did not address whether Renzi should begin serving his time or remain at liberty through further appeals. As of Thursday, he had not been incarcerated.

Renzi's lawyers could seek a review by the full 9th Circuit Court prior to potentially appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court. Kelly B. Kramer, one of Renzi's attorneys, declined to comment but issued a brief written statement: "We are disappointed with the court's ruling. We intend to seek further appellate review."

Renzi, a Republican who served from 2003 through 2009, was found guilty last year on 17 counts of conspiracy, racketeering, money-laundering and other felonies. He received a three-year prison sentence but remained free pending the appeal.



Renzi's U.S. District Court conviction stemmed from two criminal schemes. He was found guilty of extortion in a federal land-exchange proposal that he had threatened to block unless it included property owned by a business associate. He also was convicted of misappropriating insurance premiums paid to his company, then funneling the money into his political campaign.

Renzi's appeals consisted of technical arguments about whether the extortion plot involved "something of value" and whether prosecutors violated legislative immunity in the land-exchange case. Defense attorneys also challenged the embezzlement convictions, disputing whether the trial court properly defined what constitutes an insurance business and financial documents.

The 9th Circuit judges rejected every argument. They also turned down an appeal by James Sandlin, Renzi's business associate and convicted co-defendant.

Renzi had been considered an up-and-coming Republican until he bowed out of Congress while fighting the indictment.

His prosecution is a case study in the wheels of justice grinding slowly. Embezzlement for campaign purposes occurred in 2000, prior to Renzi's first election. Extortion related to the proposed land-exchange bill took place in 2005. Indictments came down in 2009.

The Renzi scandal has for years tainted a proposed real-estate exchange to facilitate one of the world's largest copper mines, already partially developed near Superior. Efforts continue to pass legislation enabling the Resolution Copper Mining project.