The untimely death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia could doom the efforts of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell to stay out of jail — and may affect other cases involving embattled politicians.
Last August, the high court granted a stay of sentence to McDonnell as he was about to serve two years behind bars following a conviction on 11 charges of corruption. And last month, it agreed to hear his appeal.
But as Politico reports, Scalia was considered among "the most receptive justices" to McDonnell's appeal.
And if the court is now unable to get five votes to overturn the conviction, the appeals court ruling that upheld McDonnell's sentence will remain and he could be heading to the slammer.
Scalia's death may also affect the public corruption case involving Sen. Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, according to Politico.
That's because if the high court rules in favor of McDonnell, it could help Menendez's lawyers narrow the charges or evidence against their client.
Another disgraced politician who could be affected is former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, serving 14 years in prison on corruption-related charges, whose appeal is also to be reviewed by the Supreme Court, Politico says.
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