Former Bush administration official Scott Bloch, who originally pleaded guilty to contempt of Congress under a plea agree with the Justice Department, wants to reverse course after a judge ruled he had to spend at least a month in prison.
The ex-head of the Office of the Special Counsel wants to abandon his guilty plea, reports Mike Scarcella of the National Law Journal.
Prosecutors wrote in a filing that Bloch’s lawyers are prepared to file a motion withdrawing his guilty plea.
They federal lawyers wrote that Bloch’s lawyers want to withdraw his previous plea since the judge failed to tell Bloch that the charge carried at least a one month sentence.
“The government believes that the defendant’s position is well-founded, and will not oppose his motion to withdraw his plea,” a Justice Department lawyer said in the court papers filed Friday.
Additional reporting by Melissa Jeltsen.
Ryan J. Reilly
Ryan J. Reilly is a D.C.-based reporter for TPM. Prior to joining TPM, he worked for a news website covering the Justice Department and was a researcher for Bloomberg News. His email address is ryan(at)talkingpointsmemo.com.
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