Former Representative Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) was found guilty on 17 of 32 charges of corruption by a federal jury on Tuesday.
Renzi, 55, was convicted for using his office for personal financial gain and looting a family insurance business for funds for his 2002 campaign, according to the Huffington Post.
“Former Congressman Renzi's streak of criminal activity was a betrayal of the public trust and abuse of the political process,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said in a statement.
“After years of misconduct as a businessman, political candidate and member of Congress, Mr. Renzi now faces the consequences for breaking the laws that he took an oath to support and defend.”
His legal team, though satisfied with Renzi’s acquittal of 15 charges, said, “We are disappointed by every guilty verdict. We will continue to fight these charges, including on appeal.”
Renzi represented Arizona’s 1st Congressional District from 2002 to early 2009. The former congressman chose not to run for reelection in 2008 while he was under federal indictment.
Renzi had been accused of forcefully persuading a mining company to arrange for investors to purchase land from a former business partner, who then transferred $121,000 to the then-Representative, reports the Chicago Tribune.
His convictions include wire fraud, conspiracy, extortion, racketeering, money laundering and making false statements to insurance regulators. Many of the counts carry maximum sentences of 20 years in prison, according to NBC. Sentencing is set to take place on Aug. 19.
Image: WikiCommons
