CHICAGO (AP) - The Latest on Supreme Court refusing to take up Rod Blagojevich’s appeal; (all times local):
12:30 p.m.
The wife of imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich says she and their two children are disappointed that the Supreme Court decided not to hear her husband’s appeal of his corruption convictions.
A Monday statement from Patti Blagojevich says she understands “the judiciary” is “no longer an option” for winning her 61-year-old husband’s release.
The justices didn’t comment Monday in letting the convictions and 14-year prison term Blagojevich is serving stand. They also refused to hear his appeal in 2016.
With legal avenues closed, Blagojevich’s wife says they’ll have to put their “faith elsewhere and find another way.”
She didn’t mention President Donald Trump. But one option could be asking him to commute Blagojevich’s sentence or pardon him.
Blagojevich was on Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice” TV show in 2010.
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8:30 a.m.
The Supreme Court for the second time has refused to hear an appeal by imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich of his corruption convictions.
The justices didn’t comment Monday in letting stand the convictions and 14-year prison term the 61-year-old is serving. His scheduled release date is 2024.
Blagojevich’s lawyers had wanted the high court to take up his case to make clear what constitutes illegal political fundraising. They argued that politicians are vulnerable to prosecution because the line between what’s allowed and what’s illegal is blurry.
His convictions included trying to extort a children’s hospital for contributions and seeking to trade an appointment to the Senate seat Barack Obama vacated when he was elected president for campaign cash.
The court also refused to hear his 2016 appeal.
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