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Presidential Clemency Record

Richard George Renzi

Pardon

  /   2017–2021

Record at a Glance

Clemency type
Pardon
Presidential term
2017–2021
Federal district
District of Arizona
Offense
Conspiracy to commit extortion, attempted extortion and wire and mail fraud; honest wire services wire fraud (six counts); conspiracy to commit money laundering; concealment of money laundering; transactions with criminally derived funds (two counts); extortion under color of official right (two counts); conspiracy to make false statement; insurance fraud (two counts); racketeering
Sentence
36 months' imprisonment; three years supervised release; $25,000 fine (October 28, 2013)
Current status
The TARGET podcast's publisher listed Renzi as the guest of its October 15, 2026 episode about his prosecution, imprisonment and pardon. That public appearance is not a new judicial ruling or evidence that he has returned to elective office.

Original Case

A federal jury convicted Renzi in 2013 of 17 felony offenses, including conspiracy, honest-services wire fraud, extortion under color of official right, racketeering, money laundering, and false statements to insurance regulators. DOJ reported 36 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervision, and a $25,000 fine; the Ninth Circuit affirmed and discussed evidence of the corrupt exchange and alleged $733,000 payment stream. Do not compress the verdict into a generic land-swap conviction.

Clemency

Trump granted Renzi a full and unconditional pardon on January 19, 2021 after Renzi had completed the three-year prison sentence. The grant relieved continuing federal consequences of the 17 convictions. The White House described the sentence as two years, while DOJ’s sentencing release and clemency register list 36 months; the conflict is preserved rather than silently resolved.

Trump Connection

Renzi was a former Republican member of Congress. The White House identified Representatives Paul Gosar and Tom Cole, former Representative Tom DeLay, community members, and the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates among those supporting clemency, and cited Renzi’s House service and constituent work. No separate personal or business relationship with Trump is documented.

Since Clemency

  • 2026-10-15 · public interview

    TARGET published an episode with Renzi discussing his prosecution, rejected plea offers, imprisonment and presidential pardon, according to the publisher's episode description.

    Legal Status: Publication of Renzi's attributed account; the episode description does not establish judicial findings of prosecutorial misconduct, innocence, or a new court disposition. The full recording was not independently transcribed in this review.

Sources

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