An Arizona congressman indicted last week for fraud and extortion stemming from a federal land swap he orchestrated has said he will remain in office while he fights the corruption charges.
“I will not resign and take on the cloak of guilt because I am innocent,” Rep. Rick Renzi said in prepared statement.
Renzi, whose indictment on 35 counts was announced Feb. 22, is scheduled to be arraigned March 6 in a Tucson federal court. Convictions on the most serious charges carry maximum penalties of 20 years in prison.
Renzi announced last year, when it became publicly known the Department of Justice was investigating the land swap and its relationship to his campaign, that he would not seek reelection after his term ends. That prompted some Republican leaders to wonder if the district wouldn’t be better served by Renzi resigning.
Jan Smith, Yavapai County Republican Party chairwoman, doesn’t think Renzi will be able to represent his constituents properly.
“There’s no way under the circumstances that anyone could concentrate on their job,” she said. “Obviously, I think he needs to defend himself to the hilt, but it doesn’t look good.”
But Malcolm Barrett Sr., a member of the Arizona Republican Committee and its vice chairman from 2000 to 2006, said a resignation that results in a special election to fill the vacant seat doesn’t make much sense, considering there will still be a general election in November.
“It’s kind of silly to have an election and then three months later have another election,” he said.