By Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD – A federal judge has ordered that a disgraced Illinois congressman’s private court records stay sealed.

Federal prosecutors and ex-congressman Aaron Schock’s lawyers have agreed the documents in question should remain sealed. They come from the private grand jury investigation into Schock that resulted in indictments that could mean decades of prison time for the former U.S. Representative. Those documents are usually unsealed when an indictment is announced, but Schock’s weren’t.

The request was made in January by the website Politico, saying that the documents are uncharacteristically sealed. Schock’s legal team said the release of the materials would “present undue risk to Mr. Schock’s due process rights to a fair trial by generating adverse pretrial publicity.”

The last judge in the case Honorable Sue Myerscough recused herself after being accused by Schock’s legal team of bias against him. Hon. Judge Colin Bruce of is now presiding over the hearings.

Schock was indicted in November on multiple fraud charges accusing abuse of his position as U.S. Representative. His trial is set for July 11.