By Mike Sunnucks, Phoenix Business Journal, October 1, 2007

1 Oct 2007 // A liberal advocacy group has named U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., to a list it calls the "most corrupt members of Congress."

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington lists Renzi, U.S Reps. John Murtha, D-Penn., and William Jefferson, D-La., and U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Ak., among its list of the 22 Most Corrupt Members of Congress. Eighteen Republicans and four Democrats made the list.

Renzi -- a Flagstaff Republican and business owner -- is not a running for reelection next year and has faced federal inquiries into his campaign finances, taxes and involvement with a deal involving public lands and a former business partner. Renzi represents a rural Arizona district that includes Prescott, Sedona and Casa Grande.

CREW questions Renzi's possible influence in obtaining federal contracts for Virginia-based Mantech International. Renzi's father, a retired U.S. Army general, is an executive with that firm.

Renzi has denied any wrongdoing. His office did not respond to requests for comment.

Other congressional members on the CREW list have either been indicted on corruption charges, such as Jefferson, are under investigation, such as Stevens, or have had their ethics questioned.

Murtha, a leading Democratic war critic, faces questions regarding federal earmarks for businesses in his home district, some of which are campaign contributors. CREW also points to Murtha's ties to a former staffer who works at a lobbying firm whose clients benefited from funding earmarks in the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, chaired by Murtha.