Renzi prison term delayed a second time

An appeal filed by former Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) on Tuesday temporarily delayed the start of his prison term.

Renzi is asking the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a district judge’s refusal to allow Renzi to remain out on bail while he appeals the larger corruption charges against him, according to The Associated Press.

The former congressman had been scheduled to start his three-year prison sentence Monday. He will be allowed to remain out of jail until the 9th Circuit makes its ruling.

His sentence had been delayed once before. 

A District Judge David Bury last week said Renzi has not introduced a case that is likely to overturn his conviction, ruling that Renzi would not be allowed to remain out on bail during the appeal.

Renzi was convicted of 17 charges last October that included wire fraud, conspiracy, extortion, racketeering, money laundering and making false statements, according to The AP.

He was accused of partly paying for his first congressional campaign in 2002 with money from his family business. 

Prosecutors also found that Renzi, while in Congress, proposed a deal that would get an Arizona land deal through the House if a portion of his business associate’s land was included in the exchange. 

The former congressman was sentenced to three years in prison. His associate, James Sandlin was sentenced to a year and a half. 

Renzi served from 2002 to 2008 and did not run for reelection that year.