GOP Lawmaker's Corruption Trial Delayed

Politico:

A federal judge has ordered that the corruption trial of Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) will be delayed six months in order to give his lawyers more time to prepare their defense.

Renzi has been charged with 35 corruption counts for allegedly concealing his personal financial stake in a federal land transfer bill, as well as insurance fraud. Renzi has denied the allegations but has announced his retirement from the House.

Renzi's trial had been scheduled to begin on April 29, but District Judge David C. Bury of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona agreed to delay it until Oct. 14 at the request of Renzi's defense team. Renzi's lawyers argued that his case was a complex one and they need more time to prepare, The Justice Department did not object to the delay, according to Bury's order.

Renzi's lawyers have also raised the possibility that they may raise Speech or Debate Clause claims regarding Renzi's case, which would further set back the start date since any such claims would have to be litigated out before the trial could begin. The Speech or Debate Clause is a constitutional privilege given to lawmakers that protects them from legal action over legislative activities. Democratic Rep. William Jefferson (La.) has delayed his own corruption trial on bribery and racketeering charges after raising Speech or Debate challenges to both the FBI search of his congressional office and the use of some legislative-related information in the grand jury presentation of his case.

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[john85msy]

I wonder if McCain ever beat his wife? Because with a temper like that I feel sorry for his wife.

[kfdan]

The GOP is in such a mess ~ albeit of their own making!

[NoahVail]

Renzi's replacement: http://arizona.typepad.com/blog/2008/03/meet-sydney-hay.html

"You can always tell when a social movement is effectively dead by how nostalgic its members become about a claimed Golden Age. In the case of the Conservative Movement, their necromantic rites centering around Reagan and Goldwater are increasingly elaborate, central to their religion, and frankly pitiful."

[LivingStardust]

Nice quote.

[blackmouth]

I really don't know how or why anybody would want to be a republican when we see every day what a mess this party's idiot president and vise president have made of this country and the world through their actions or in-actions. Their ability to politicise every aspect of government is unforgivable and should be prosecuted for the harm their incompetence and the incompetence of their appointments has caused by killing hundreds of thousands of people and looting the wealth of this nation of its citizens tax money.

[NoahVail]

So true blackmouth. Remember when education was a bipartisan issue, and the civil service was respected for being neutral? You would certainly think that somebody living in a trailer driving a car that they don't own would think about joining a union more than they would about the Republican party, huh? Maybe the $4 gasoline will influence their thinking.

[NoahVail]

...until AFTER the election. Well, I guess we won't have McSame's AZ campaign manager to kick around until after November.

[JohnFromCensornati]

October 14 is *not* after the election, but I'm sure they will take care of that later.

[lynnn]

I'm sure this is for some non political reason (wink wink).

[PioneerKing]

Are Renzi and McCain good friends? Did Renzi contribute to all of McCain's campaigns?

[Quaoar]

Yes they are, even though McCain once physically attacked Renzi:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/08/new-book-mccain-once-phys_n_95595.html

[JohnFromCensornati]

Boys will be boys.