Supreme Court won't hear Blagojevich appeal

Supreme Court won’t hear Blagojevich appeal

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich (left) with his wife, Patti, speaks to reporters in December 2011 at the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago after Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years on 18 corruption counts. Five of those convictions have been overturned, and a new sentencing hearing is set for Tuesday. | AP file photo

The United States Supreme Court once again declined Monday to hear an appeal from former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The high court first denied Blagojevich’s appeal in March. Blagojevich’s lawyers petitioned for a rehearing last month, and the Supreme Court turned him down without comment in an order posted Monday on the court’s website.

Blagojevich, 59, reported to a federal prison in Colorado four years ago to begin serving a 14-year sentence. He was convicted of 18 counts over two trials, including that he attempted to trade his power to appoint someone to a U.S. Senate seat — the one recently vacated by President Barack Obama — in exchange for personal benefits.

A three-judge panel tossed nearly a third of the counts against Blagojevich last year and ordered him to be re-sentenced. That hearing is set for Aug. 9.

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