Prosecutors have filed a response to Rod Blagojevich's corruption conviction appeal.
The 169-page government filing submitted late Tuesday urges the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reject the imprisoned former governor's request for a new trial.
Defense lawyers filed the appeal on the Illinois Democrat's behalf in July. It asks the Chicago-based appellate court to toss his convictions or at least reduce his 14-year prison sentence.
In 2011, jurors convicted the 56-year-old former governor of engaging in wide-ranging corruption. That included seeking to profit from his power to appoint someone to the Senate seat that Barack Obama vacated when he became president.
With prosecutors' response in, oral arguments on the appeal could be scheduled soon. A ruling on the appeal by the three-judge panel could happen within several months.
