NEW HAVEN – A federal judge ruled Thursday that Republican Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland can remain free on appeal of his conviction in a political consulting scheme.
Attorney Andrew Fish argued in court papers on April 17 that Rowland has a good chance of having his conviction overturned and doesn’t pose a flight risk.
Rowland was sentenced on March 18 to 2 years in prison on charges that include conspiring to hide payments for work he did on the 2012 congressional campaign of Lisa Wilson-Foley.
Fish argues that prosecutors failed to tell the defense that Wilson-Foley said she believed Rowland was hired to do legitimate consulting work for her husband’s health care company.
Rowland will be permitted to voluntarily surrender, if his appeal is denied and is scheduled to report by noon on June 16.
Rowland requested to be placed in Otisville Federal Correctional Institute in Otisville New York, about 130 miles from Hartford. The judge recommended Rowland serve his time there.
The former governor was convicted of seven crimes, four of them felonies, last year.
The judge’s ruling can be found here.
