United States Ninth Circuit

Conviction and sentence of Former Congressman Renzi and codefendant Sandlin on charges of conspiracy, honest-services fraud, extortion, money laundering, making false statements to insurance regulators, and racketeering, is affirmed, where: 1) the jury instruction was not in error, as the Ninth Circuit's pattern jury instruction for bribery merely recommends that the district court specifically describe the "thing of value" that was received in exchange for promised legislative support; 2) the district court properly declined to balance another congressman's Speech or Debate Clause privilege against Renzi's right to present a defense; 3) the district court did not abuse its discretion in excluding classified information in conformance with the Classified Information Procedures Act; 4) Renzi & Company was "engaged in the business of insurance"; and 5) the government was not required to show that Renzi & Company "misappropriated" funds held "in trust" for another in order to prove mail or wire fraud.

Appellate Information

• Decided 10/09/2014
• Published 10/09/2014

Judges

• Tallman

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel