Former Enron boss Jeffrey Skilling is to appeal against his convictions relating to his role in the collapse of the energy giant in 2001.
Skilling is asking the US Supreme Court to consider whether the federal "honest services" law was applied correctly. The law has been criticised because the prosecutor does not always have to prove that a defendant personally benefited from the alleged fraud.
Skilling was found guilty of fraud, conspiracy and insider trading in 2006.
He was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Former Enron chairman Kenneth Lay was also convicted but died of a heart attack before he was able to appeal.
Skilling also claims that he did not receive a fair trial as he was subjected to "blistering attacks" in the media.
"Skilling was pronounced guilty throughout Houston long before the trial," his lawyer, Daniel Petrocelli, says in the court filing.
The US Justice Department urged the Supreme Court to deny the appeal - or to at least delay it - until it had ruled on another pending case that raises a similar issue about the "honest services" law.
Source: news.bbc.co.uk/
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