Renzi (R) AZ, USA Charlton's investigation

[rumpel]

hootinholler did a great compilation of USA firings and their jeopardized investigations in the thread here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2954469

I just found an interesting article from 2 days ago on Renzi


Secrecy, scandal cloud Renzi era
Reclusive lawmaker leaves legacy of questions

Dennis Wagner and Dan Nowicki
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 26, 2007 12:00 AM

Congressman Rick Renzi, targeted by FBI agents and dogged by political enemies, will leave public office as he entered - somewhat of a mystery.

The 49-year-old Republican, businessman and father of 12 announced Thursday that he will not seek a fourth term as representative of Arizona's sprawling 1st Congressional District.

snip

The seeds of Renzi's demise were planted in his campaign for the 2002 election, when he used creative financing to build a war chest. Much of that money came from a business associate named James Sandlin and from ManTech Corp., a Fort Huachuca company in which Renzi's father serves as an executive.

Four years later, the FBI, federal prosecutors and congressional investigators began poring over Renzi's legislative and business record. One focus of the inquiry: Renzi's orchestration of an Arizona land swap to benefit Sandlin. A probe focused on Renzi's sponsorship of bills benefiting ManTech Corp. The FBI raided Renzi's family business in Sonoita, seeking evidence.

There have been no indictments, and the investigation continues. But the allegations created a public-relations disaster, crippling Renzi as a lawmaker and virtually killing hope of re-election.

snip

Meanwhile, the relationship with Sandlin, and suspicions about it, became more tangled. During 2002, Renzi sold more of his interest in a real-estate company to Sandlin. A year later, he sold Sandlin the entire company for $1 million to $5 million, according to financial records. Renzi retained a future development interest.

After defeating Democrat Paul Babbitt to hold his seat in 2004, Renzi began to push a land swap between the federal government and private property owners. Such exchanges, designed to preserve sensitive ecological areas while promoting economic development, are not unusual.

In this case, however, one of the parcels on Renzi's agenda was a 480-acre alfalfa field near the San Pedro River, owned by Sandlin.

Resolution Copper wanted to buy private land and trade it to the government for U.S. Forest Service acreage near Superior, where huge ore deposits had been discovered. Sources say Renzi told the company that there would be no land swap - no mine - unless Resolution bought the Sandlin tract for inclusion in the deal. When Resolution officials discovered the business relationship between Sandlin and Renzi, they bowed out.

snip

Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton was conducting the investigation with cooperation from Resolution Copper. That probe apparently has been complicated by politics.

Charlton was ordered to resign in a purge of U.S. attorneys by the Bush administration. A new furor erupted as Congress discovered Charlton was among several prosecutors ousted either while they were investigating Republican officials or for refusing to pursue political targets of the Bush administration.


worth reading in full at
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0826renzi-legacy.html

Interesting that nothing is known about him. perhaps a former DOD intel guy...