Takedowns

Former Congressman Richard Renzi Convicted of Extortion and Bribery in Illegal Federal Land Swap

On Tuesday this week a federal jury in Tucson, Arizona found former Congressman Richard Renzi (R-AZ) and a real-estate investor, James Sandlin, guilty of conspiring to extort and bribe individuals seeking a federal land exchange.

Renzi, 55, was found guilty of 17 felony offenses including conspiracy, honest services wire fraud, extortion under color of official right, racketeering, money laundering and making false statements to insurance regulators. Sandlin, 62, was found guilty of 13 felony offenses including conspiracy, honest services wire fraud, extortion under color of official right and money laundering.

The convictions were announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney John Leonardo of the District of Arizona.

GEICO's Good Stuff

Data Scientists Gather for Government Performance Summit #GPS13

GEICO’s Good Stuff is a column series highlighting great stuff happening in the federal community.

This week, the Performance Institute convened their 13^th annual Government Performance Summit just outside Washington, DC in Crystal City, Virginia. This year’s summit is entitled “Science of Data: Unlocking Information for Improved Insight.”

Speakers and break-out sessions focused on the increased access and availability of government data, which presents agencies with the capability to use verifiable information to set, monitor, and track progress towards reaching their strategic goals.

Jon Desenberg, a senior director at the Performance Institute, said the Government Performance Summit (GPS) is “a groundbreaking opportunity to learn from government managers on how to improve the way government works.”

Case Law Update

Supreme Court Holds That Obtaining DNA Samples From Arrestees Suspected of Committing Violent Crimes Is Constitutional

In 2009, Alonzo King brandished a shotgun at several people.  He was arrested and, pursuant to Maryland law, at his booking a DNA sample was taken from him.  This DNA sample was eventually run through a database of DNA obtained in relation to unsolved crimes.  The results implicated Mr. King in a previously unsolved rape which was committed in 2003.  Based on the DNA evidence, Mr. King was convicted of rape and sentenced to life imprisonment, although he challenged the government’s gathering of his DNA as an unlawful suspicionless search in violation of the Fourth Amendment.  After several appeals, and in an unusually split 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Maryland’s law allowing law enforcement officers to obtain a DNA sample from suspected violent felons at booking was constitutional.