A judge on Monday denied former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell's request for a public defender as she fights to keep $90,000 in pension funds.
U.S. District Judge Philip Reinhard asked for more information on several motions, The Dixon Telegraph reported.
Reinhard will decide whether Crundwell's pension should be part of her restitution for swindling the northern Illinois city of $54 million. Crundwell argues in an Aug. 30 letter that her Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund and a Nationwide Retirement Solutions fund should be exempt from money she must repay.
Crundwell was convicted of stealing the money from the city over 22 years, and was sentenced to nearly 20 years in federal prison. She owes $44.4 million in restitution.
The city received $9 million from the sale of Crundwell's assets and $30 million in a settlement with its former bank and auditors.
