Former Arizona congressman Rick Renzi has made a startling claim that Special Counsel Jack Smith is using his position to settle personal scores against former President Donald Trump.

In a recent conversation with conservative radio host Mark Levin, Renzi, who was convicted in federal court in 2013 over financial dealings, suggested that Smith's investigation into Trump is driven by personal vendetta rather than a pursuit of justice.

Renzi, who served nearly two-thirds of a 36-month sentence and continues to assert his innocence, drew attention to Smith's connections to his own case.

He specifically highlighted the role of then-prosecutor David Harbach, who he believes played a significant part in his prosecution, as reported by Breitbart.

Doesn't hold back

This stunning development has added a new layer of complexity to the ongoing legal saga. Renzi, who himself has had a run-in with the law, alleges that Smith's actions are not just a pursuit of justice but a personal vendetta.

He claims that Smith is using his position to settle old scores, a development that could potentially skew the objectivity of the investigation.

This revelation, if true, could have significant implications for the case. It raises questions about the fairness of the proceedings and the potential for bias in the investigation.

This unexpected twist has added a new dimension to the case, making it all the more intriguing and contentious.

David Harbach's involvement in Renzi's case

Renzi stated that Harbach was the overseer of the prosecutors in his case, a case that was marked by its longevity and allegations of prosecutorial misconduct.

Renzi further claimed that Harbach and Smith have a long history of working together, their professional relationship spanning their time at the Department of Justice and the Kosovo war crimes tribunal.

Smith was recalled by Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Trump.

Harbach, who had since moved to private practice, was also brought back into the fold and has been representing the Special Counsel’s office in court appearances in the federal court in Miami where Trump is set to face trial.

The controversial cases of Smith and Harbach

Renzi pointed out that Harbach and Smith have a track record of working together on some of the most controversial cases. These include the conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, a verdict that was later unanimously overturned by the Supreme Court, and the unsuccessful prosecution of former Sen. John Edwards.

"James Comey’s hit man is the guy speaking in the Miami courtroom to Judge [Aileen] Cannon," Renzi told Levin. "That’s James Comey’s revenge."

Renzi himself was accused of diverting premiums from his own insurance company’s clients to fund his congressional campaign, and of promising his vote on a mining issue in return for a land deal to recover money he was owed.

Renzi's allegations of prosecutorial misconduct

Renzi accused the prosecutors in his case of misconduct, alleging that they wiretapped telephone conversations between him and his attorney, and hid exculpatory evidence about a witness’s testimony. He claimed that the witness had been paid to alter his story.

A judge dismissed the wiretaps in 2010, agreeing that they had violated attorney-client privilege, but did not dismiss the case.

Interestingly, the indictment of Trump in the documents case relied in part on grand jury testimony that Smith’s team obtained from one of Trump’s lawyers over objections about attorney-client privilege.

Smith's alleged awareness of misconduct

Renzi concurred with Levin’s suggestion that Jack Smith “had to know” of the alleged prosecutorial misconduct in his case. He told Levin that his prosecution had been the result of his status as a political rival to then-Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano.

"He’s a political animal," Renzi said of Smith.

Renzi’s pardon had been supported by a group of former congressional colleagues. It was granted by President Trump in the closing hours of his presidency.

Smith's motivation for prosecuting Trump

Levin asked Renzi whether Smith was eager to put Trump in prison because he had pardoned Renzi. Renzi said it was one reason, but the main reason was that Trump is a “New York street fighter” against the status quo in Washington, including the power of federal prosecutors.

Renzi said that Smith and his team were using selective leaks to the media to make Trump look as bad as possible before the trial.

He also cited Smith’s ties to former Attorney General Eric Holder, saying that he had close ties to former President Barack Obama’s circle of aides and allies, and had been brought into target Trump for that reason.

Smith's stance on the rule of law

Smith said last month that he had indicted Trump because of the rule of law: “We have one set of laws in this country and they apply to everyone,” he said, without explaining the lack of prosecution against Clinton — or against President Joe Biden, who had been found to be in possession of classified materials for years after his service in the Senate and as Vice President, without any authority to retain or declassify such materials.

• Rick Renzi has alleged that Special Counsel Jack Smith is settling old scores against former President Donald Trump.
• Renzi claimed that Smith and then-prosecutor David Harbach had ties to his own case.
• Renzi accused prosecutors of misconduct for wiretapping telephone conversations between him and his attorney, and for allegedly hiding exculpatory evidence about a witness’s testimony.
• Renzi agreed with Levin’s suggestion that Jack Smith “had to know” of the alleged prosecutorial misconduct in his case.
• Renzi’s pardon had been supported by a group of former congressional colleagues. It was granted by President Trump in the closing hours of his presidency.
• Renzi said that Smith and his team were using selective leaks to the media to make Trump look as bad as possible before the trial.

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