Supreme Court again rejects Illinois ex-governor's corruption appeal

[May 24, 2016]  (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected for the second time flamboyant former two-term Democratic Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's appeal of convictions on corruption charges including attempted extortion, wire fraud and other crimes.

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich makes a statement to reporters outside his Chicago home one day before reporting to federal prison in Colorado to serve a 14-year sentence for corruption, March 14, 2012. REUTERS/Jeff Haynes

The court denied a request by Blagojevich to reconsider its March decision not to take up his appeal of a July 2015, ruling by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld most of his convictions.

Prosecutors said Blagojevich was at the center of a conspiracy to seek cash, campaign contributions and jobs for himself and others in exchange for state appointments, state business, legislation and pension fund investments.

Among those actions were attempts to leverage his authority as governor to appoint a U.S. senator from Illinois when Barack Obama left his Senate seat after being elected president in 2008, prosecutors said.

Blagojevich began serving a 14-year prison sentence in 2012.

(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, California; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

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