Renzi situation explodes
By Kirstin Ellison
Posted on Thu Apr 26, 2007 at 03:24:11 PM EST
The hits just keep on coming in the case of Representative Rick Renzi (R-AZ). Amid broader questions of whether or not the firings of eight US Attorneys were politically-motivated comes closer scrutiny in one of the instances.
US Attorney Paul Charlton of Arizona was investigating Renzi for a suspicious land deal, and the case was heating up just before the November 2006 elections. When Charlton went to the Justice Department for authorization for search warrants, subpoenas, and wiretaps in order to further the case, he was met with delay after delay. In September of 2006, Charlton's name was added to the list of prosecutors to be fired - months after the rest of the other prosecutors' names on the list. Renzi won reelection with just 51% of the vote, and Charlton was fired on December 7.
Today we learn that Renzi's chief of staff, Brian Murrary, called Charlton's office six weeks before the firings to ask about the investigation into his boss' activities. Charlton thought this was a tad improper, and reported the call to the Justice Department. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) is pretty angry about this, too - he sent a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales yesterday demanding full disclosure of any and all such contact:
Schumer wrote that the call last October from Murray to Charlton spokesman Wyn Hornbuckle could be taken as an attempt to delay the politically sensitive investigation until after the 2006 election.
"To date, there has not been a compelling case made that Mr. Charlton deserved to be dismissed based on his performance as the chief federal prosecutor in Arizona," wrote Schumer, who asked for a response by Friday afternoon.
Schumer also wants the Justice Department to explain why officials didn't tell congressional investigators about the contact from Renzi's office to Charlton's even though Charlton's office reported it.
And what exactly does the Attorney General have to say about all this?
Gonzales' explanation for why Charlton was fired was because the US Attorney had asked the AG to reconsider the death penalty in one case and was recording interviews without DoJ approval. But the situation bears a suspicious resemblance to others converning the firings. In New Mexico, Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) asked US Attorney David Iglesias about an investigation of Democrats before the election; Iglesias also received a call from Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM). Charges weren't brought before the election, and on December 7, Iglesias was given the boot. To top it all off, fired Seattle US Attorney John McKay received a call from the chief of staff of Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA) regarding a voter fraud investigation.
Tags: Rick Renzi, ethics in government, Paul Charlton, Alberto Gonzales, Brian Murray (all tags)
You are not logged in.
In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.
If not, you can make an account just by filling out the form below. It's quick and free.
