Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., says he has no intention of resigning in light of a federal corruption investigation.

But Renzi appears to be quickly losing his ability to serve his constituents as his Washington colleagues withdraw their support and prominent Democrats and Republicans begin lining up to run in a special election if he does step down.

On Wednesday, the Washington newspaper The Hill claimed Renzi was “looking at” the prospect of resigning amid new leaks and mounting speculation about a twoyear FBI investigation that formally became public knowledge after an April 19 raid of a family business in Sonoita, Ariz. While the probe is shrouded in grand jury secrecy, Tribune writer Paul Giblin and media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal have reported the FBI appears to be looking at a complicated land swap arrangement that benefited a former business partner and possibly Renzi indirectly.

State Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Flagstaff, is preparing for a possible special election and former state Senate President Ken Bennett, R-Prescott, told the Associated Press he would run as well. But Renzi issued a terse statement Friday morning saying the rumors about him leaving are false.

We have no idea if Renzi is guilty of any wrongdoing. But we do know the FBI investigation already is hampering Renzi’s representation of the 1st Congressional District, which reaches across a vast swath of northern Arizona. He has stepped away from all of his committee assignments and made himself largely unavailable for comment.

He did continue to cast votes on the House floor last week, including one against the new Democratic plan to extend funding troops for Iraq and Afghanistan but also to start withdrawing military forces from Iraq.

Still, Renzi needs to honestly assess how effective he can be with heavy clouds of uncertainty hanging over him.

Perception of an embattled congressman waiting for the ax to fall will become reality if Renzi has lost the potential to influence legislation and events in Washington. Certainly, many political observers in blogs and elsewhere already assume Renzi has no future and they are handicapping possible candidates for a special election.

It’s unfortunate that a federal lawmaker who has been publicly elected three times doesn’t appear to be entitled to a benefit of the doubt and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. On the other hand, a seat in Congress should be one of the highest privileges we bestow on a citizen, with equally high standards for those allowed to hold the office, and not simple relief that the person has yet to be criminally indicted.

If we could be confident that Renzi’s wagon-circling would be a short, temporary situation while he clears his name, then we would call for Renzi to stay in office and face the voters next year. But The Wall Street Journal has reported the FBI investigation was delayed for months because of the political firing in December of Paul Charlton, the former U.S. attorney for Arizona. Even under the best scenario for Renzi, the probe could go on behind closed doors for quite some time.

In the meantime, Renzi will be hounded by political opportunists looking to further undermine his status, and his constituents will receive less than they deserve while he rallies to protect himself.

The better choice, the honorable choice, would be for Renzi to step aside and let someone else come forward to represent his district and our state in Congress.