Breaking News! Looks Like Renzi Is Resigning In Face of Investigation
Today’s breaking news is that Rick Renzi appears to be about to announce his resignation from Congress. Rumors have been breaking out all over. Last night on Arizona Illustrated, the Pima County Republican Chair mentioned the possibility in passing. A Washington online paper known as The Hill has picked up the story. Now here in Phoenix, the East Valley Tribune has picked it up. (Naturally this important story has not been picked by either the Arizona Star or the Arizona Republic for some reason)
Renzi weighs resignation in wake of probe, paper says
Paul Giblin, East Valley Tribune
Rep. Rick Renzi. R-Ariz., is “looking at” the prospect of resigning his office in response to an FBI public-corruption investigation.On Tuesday, he told The Hill, a newspaper that covers the Washington political scene, that he was considering leaving office.
He has denied any wrongdoing, but has stepped down, at least temporarily, from his three committee assignments. Renzi’s plight and his recent talk of resigning has Arizona political leaders talking themselves — about how to replace him if he goes. Should he resign as one of Arizona’s eight U.S. representatives, his office would remain empty for three to five months before a successor would be selected.
Gov. Janet Napolitano’s top aides have been “refreshing their recollections” during the past few days on the procedure to fill such a vacancy, her general counsel, Tim Nelson, said Wednesday.
Brett Mecum, a spokesman for the Arizona Republican Party, said the decision about whether Renzi should resign his office should be left to the three-term Republican lawmaker.
“We’re going to wait to see what happens and we’re hoping the Democrats lay off the attacks and let the investigators investigate. We’ll take this one step at a time,” Mecum said. Click here to read more. Meanwhile there is now another story at The Hill, a Washington news service.