By Dennis Wagner | The Arizona Republic
Former U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi was either a corrupt politician who betrayed his office for money or an innocent congressman prosecuted for trying to save a river and defend national security.
Those are the opposing narratives that were spelled out Wednesday in opening statements at Renzi’s trial involving 32 counts of extortion, conspiracy and fraud.
David Harbach, a U.S. Justice Department prosecutor, told jurors that Renzi and co-defendant James Sandlin engaged in criminal schemes for years, “lying and stealing and taking advantage of people. … Mr. Renzi, a U.S. congressman, sold out his office.”
Kelly Kramer, defense counsel for Renzi, answered: “Mr. Renzi didn’t extort anybody, he didn’t solicit any bribes, and he didn’t defraud anyone. … The evidence is going to show they got this case horribly wrong.”
Kramer portrayed his client as the victim of overzealous FBI agents and prosecutors who believed Renzi acted corruptly and set out to prove it.
