CHICAGO (AP) -- A federal judge in Chicago has turned down a request for a new trial from convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko.
Rezko was a major fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich and for President-elect Obama. He was convicted in June of using his clout with the governor's office to launch a $7 million scheme to squeeze payoffs out of companies seeking business from the state.
U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve said Wednesday in a 34-page opinion that federal prosecutors had proven their case. She refused to throw out the guilty verdicts.
Rezko was convicted following a trial of more than three months. He's believed to be cooperating with federal prosecutors in hopes of getting a lighter sentence.
