State's U.S. attorney denies Renzi probe pressure

Arizona's U.S. Attorney Diane Humetewa says she was never pressured by the Bush administration to drop an investigation of Arizona Republican Rep. Rick Renzi, as was rumored shortly after the president nominated her for her post. Rep. Rick Renzi pleads not guilty at arraignment Arizona congressman Renzi indicted in fraud In fact, the state's top federal prosecutor went even further in her first public statement on the issue, saying the rumor, as first outlined last year in a widely distributed letter by the state Democratic Party, was "very harsh" and totally unjustified. "You characterized the letter as asking whether or not this (pressure) had occurred," Humetewa said when questioned about it. "I think it was a little bit stronger than that. I think it was sort of inferring that that had occurred." In a recent interview... [read full story]