N.Y. senator demands documents from Justice about Renzi probe

25 Apr 2007 // WASHINGTON - A New York senator is demanding the Justice Department disclose all contacts related to a corruption investigation targeting Rep. Rick Renzi, a day after the Arizona Republican's top aide said he called his state's U.S. attorney's office about the matter.

In a letter sent Wednesday to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., says the revelation Tuesday from Renzi's chief of staff, Brian Murray, raises "new and serious questions" about the dismissal of the state's former prosecutor.

Paul Charlton was one of eight U.S. attorneys fired last year. House and Senate lawmakers have asked whether some of the prosecutors were dismissed for being too effective at investigating Republicans before the last election.

Charlton's office had opened an investigation into a 2005 land deal that netted Renzi's former business partner, friend and campaign donor $4.5 million.

Schumer wrote that the call last October from Murray to Charlton spokesman Wyn Hornbuckle could be taken as an attempt to delay the politically sensitive investigation until after the 2006 election.

"To date, there has not been a compelling case made that Mr. Charlton deserved to be dismissed based on his performance as the chief federal prosecutor in Arizona," wrote Schumer, who asked for a response by Friday afternoon.

Schumer also wants the Justice Department to explain why officials didn't tell congressional investigators about the contact from Renzi's office to Charlton's even though Charlton's office reported it.

Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse would not comment about the investigation into Renzi.

Under Gonzales, the department "has never interfered with or attempted to influence a criminal prosecution, including a public corruption case, for partisan political reasons," Roehrkasse added.

Murray, Renzi's aide, said in a statement Tuesday that he called Hornbuckle "seeking information about press accounts which appeared just weeks before Election Day alleging a pending indictment."

Murray said he left a message and later was told the office wouldn't comment.

Schumer's demands come as Gonzales and Renzi face increasing scrutiny.

Gonzales' job is on the line for his handling of the U.S. attorney investigation.

The investigation into Renzi also appears to be heating up. The FBI last Thursday raided a Sonoita, Ariz., insurance business owned by Renzi's wife, Roberta.

Renzi temporarily stepped down from the House Intelligence Committee last week. Tuesday, he took a leave of absence from two other committees, Natural Resources and Financial Services.

He has denied doing anything wrong.

Other members of Congress have been accused of making improper calls to U.S. attorneys, who were later fired.

The Senate ethics committee has opened a preliminary inquiry into a call by Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., to then-U.S. attorney David Iglesias, who was fired the same day as Charlton.

Domenici wanted to know the status of a corruption investigation that might have helped Republicans in the 2006 election. He asked whether indictments would be returned before November. Told no, Domenici hung up, Iglesias said.

The House ethics committee has also been asked to investigate a separate call from Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., to Iglesias.

Domenici and Wilson have denied pressuring Iglesias or asking anything improper.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.