By AP/KWMU
Chicago, ILL – Attorneys for former Governor George Ryan's campaign fund and his onetime chief of staff are asking for a new trial.
A federal jury convicted the campaign committee and Ryan's former top aide, Scott Fawell, on racketeering charges in March.
Defense attorneys say U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer made some three dozen errors while presiding over the trial.
The government is scheduled to file a written response to the motion May Ninth. But prosecutor Patrick Collins says the defense isn't raising any new issues and he sees no reason to challenge the trial's outcome.
Fawell and the campaign fund were found guilty of using state employees on state time to work on political campaigns.