Former Arizona congressman says his conviction followed a ‘witchhunt’
By Adrian Skabelund | Arizona Daily Sun
A former congressional representative of Flagstaff and northern Arizona is looking for a presidential pardon for a conviction that he says was the result of misconduct on the part of the FBI and prosecutors.
A lawyer for former GOP congressman Rick Renzi sent a letter to the Department of Justice last month asking the department to open an investigation into alleged misconduct on the part of investigators who put Renzi away for about two years.
In an email, a spokesperson for Renzi called the original investigation of the congressman a “witchhunt,” comparing it to the claims by President Trump that the FBI illegally spied on his campaign. According to the Associated Press, the director of the FBI has said any surveillance on the Trump campaign was conducted legally.
In 2013, Renzi was convicted by a Tucson jury of 17 out of 32 counts for corruption including wire fraud, conspiracy, extortion and lying to insurance regulators.
