PHOENIX — Gov. Janet Napolitano believes Congressman Rick Renzi should resign — and sooner rather than later.

Renzi

 The governor said Wednesday the 35-count indictment against Renzi probably makes it impossible for him to do the job he was sent to Washington to do.

 She pointed out that Renzi removed himself from all U.S. House committees last year when allegations of improprieties were first raised. That includes one of the issues which resulted in charges that he misused his position as a member of the House Natural Resources Committee to pressure one company and a group of investors to buy a piece of property from a former business partner.

 “That’s where the work of the House is done,’’ the governor said.

 “And he’s been drawing full salary during that whole time,’’ Napolitano continued. “But at a certain point the people who live in his district are entitled to have a full-time working  congressman.’’

 The governor acknowledged Renzi’s statement earlier this week that resigning would result in his assuming a “cloak of guilt.’’

 But she said that ignores the reality of his legal situation.

 “If we wants to remove the cloak of guilt, I think it’s going to take his full-time effort,’’ she said. “And if it’s going to take his full-time effort, then he needs to resign.’’

 Renzi has said the charges won’t interfere with his work, saying that’s why he has lawyers to battle the charges.

 The governor also sought to give Renzi a bit of a shove into making a decision.

 She noted that state law says a resignation before May 5 allows her to call a special election to fill the seat for the balance of Renzi’s term which runs through the end of the year. The congressman already has announced he is not seeking reelection.

 But if the resignation comes May 5 or later, then the position remains vacant until his replacement is seated.

 “There are a lot of votes that take place between now and next January,’’ she said. That includes everything from the budget and education to health care and the war.

 “So if waits until after May the 4th, what he’s basically said is, `I’m going to let the people of the district who sent me to Washington be unrepresented until the next session of the Congress,’’ the governor said.

 “I understand the give and take,’’ she said. “But, on balance, I think that’s wrong.’’

 Messages left with Renzi’s congressional office on Wednesday were not immediately returned.

 The congressional-related charges against Renzi stem from allegations that he threatened to torpedo federal land swap legislation unless those who wanted that swap bought a piece of property in Cochise County from James Sandlin. The indictment says that pressure, which eventually resulted in a $4.6 million sale, allowed Sandlin to repay Renzi $700,000 he owed him, money

 Renzi then used to pay back taxes.

 A separate set of charges alleges that Renzi embezzled funds from clients of his Virginia insurance firm, using those to pay expenses for his first congressional race in 2002.

 Renzi is set to be arraigned next week in U.S. District Court in Tucson.

 His congressional district runs from the state’s northern border through Flagstaff, down along the state’s eastern edge to the Pima-Pinal county border.