NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday August 23, 2007

Arizona Democrats call on Renzi to step down

Residents of Arizona’s First Congressional District learned today that the Republican Party and Rep. Rick Renzi are making them wait until 2008 for full and honest representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Rick Renzi’s decision to keep his seat – with the Republican Party’s blessing – is the height of arrogance and selfishness. He can’t even participate in committee hearings on Capitol Hill – how does he think he is serving his constituents?” said Don Bivens, chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party. “I urge him to step down so that the residents of the First Congressional District have a voice in Congress.”

Renzi already has resigned all his committee memberships after a federal investigation into his business dealings became public when the FBI raided his family’s business in Sonoita, Ariz.

By resigning his committee assignments, Renzi abdicated his most important legislative role, Bivens said. He cannot participate in shaping legislation or expressing the concerns of his constituents.

“Rick Renzi thinks that he is accountable to no one, and the Republican Party is going along with him,” Bivens said. “Voters need a representative who answers to them, who will tell them the truth and who will always work in their best interest. Rick Renzi needs to do the right thing and resign.”