Another Shoe

Josh Marshall and Talking Points Memo has been all over the U.S. attorney purge story, following all the leads and looking into the all of the details. He brings to light another congressman, Rick Renzi (R-AZ) who may have been in on the firing of Paul Charlton, the attorney in Arizona. Mr. Renzi's wife's insurance business was the subject of an FBI raid last week, and the congressman has stepped down from his seat on several House committees.

This gets a bit complicated but here goes.

Purged US Attorney Paul Charlton was talking to House investigators this afternoon when he made an important revelation. Weeks before election day 2006, word leaked to the press in Arizona that Charlton's office was investigating Renzi. Renzi's top aide Brian Murray then called Charlton's office and asked Charlton's spokesman, Wyn Hornbuckle.

Unlike what happened with David Iglesias, Charlton's chief investigator did report the contact to the Department of Justice, as DOJ regs dictate.

Now, here's the key: after all Congress's document and information requests to DOJ, the Justice Department had not revealed the Renzi-Charlton contact. For some reason, they've held that back.

The AP sources that to a House Judiciary Committee official and I've also confirmed with House Judiciary investigators that the DOJ failed to give this information to congressional investigators.

The Associated Press has the story.

Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM) have been getting all the attention for their alleged interference into the work of David Iglesias, but it could be that Mr. Renzi's involvement is one more shoe dropping.

Speaking of David Iglesias, he filed a Hatch Act complaint on April 3 against the White House, which is what has triggered the Office of Special Counsel investigation into Karl Rove's activities.

Clunk.