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In a brief order,
Roberts said an appeals court ruling rejecting McDonnell's bid
to stay out of prison pending a further appeal could not go into
effect until the U.S. Supreme Court takes further action.
McDonnell's lawyers had said the former governor could be
required to report to prison as soon as Thursday.
McDonnell, once a rising star in the Republican Party, and his
wife, Maureen, were convicted in September of taking $177,000 in
gifts and loans from businessman Jonnie Williams in exchange for
promoting one of his company's dietary supplements. U.S.
District Judge James Spencer sentenced McDonnell to two years in
prison. McDonnell has so far remained free.
Lawyers for McDonnell, the first Virginia governor to be
convicted on criminal charges, had argued that he did not
represent a flight risk or threat to public safety and thus did
not need to be imprisoned pending the outcome of his appeal.
Roberts' order asked the U.S. Justice Department to file a
response to McDonnell's application by Wednesday afternoon.
(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Sandra Maler and Peter
Cooney)
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