CHICAGO (AP) – The U.S. attorney’s office in Springfield, Illinois, says it’s transferring ex-U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock’s corruption case to another prosecutors’ team outside central Illinois.
It revealed the step in a Thursday filing asking for a temporary stay of the pre-trial process. The Peoria Republican’s trial date is Jan. 28.
The filing comes shortly after a Chicago-based judge replaced Urbana-based Colin Bruce as trial judge. Bruce was removed from all criminal cases after exchanging emails with a U.S. attorney’s office worker about another case.
The filing doesn’t say which district will take Schock’s case. Former federal prosecutor Jeff Cramer says it’d “seem to make sense” Chicago gets it since the new judge is there.
Schock was indicted in 2016 on charges of misusing funds. He’s pleaded not guilty.
