Construction manager Michael Murphy's plea Wednesday in federal court closes the case, which earlier led to guilty pleas by former state Senate President Pro Tem Manny Aragon and six other defendants.

Defendants were accused of using inflated and false invoices to bilk the state of $4.2 million during construction of the county courthouse in Albuquerque.

Murphy pleaded guilty to accepting a $20,000 check from a co-defendant, former court administrator Toby Martinez.

The 59-year-old Murphy faces up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Aragon faces 5 1/2 years in prison in a plea deal.

Nathan Johnson pleaded guilty Tuesday in Denver federal court to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He faces up to 3 years, 1 month in prison at his March 20 sentencing.

Johnson and two others were arrested in Aurora on Aug. 24, the day before the convention began. Authorities said they had methamphetamine, bulletproof vests and guns with them when arrested.

Witnesses said the three had discussed killing Obama because he's black. But prosecutors determined they posed no credible threat and did not charge them with making threats.

The justices did not comment Monday in turning down Hatfill's appeal of a unanimous ruling by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Richmond, Va. A three-judge panel affirmed a lower court's dismissal of the libel claims on the grounds that Hatfill is a public figure and failed to prove that columns written by Nicholas Kristof were malicious.

Circumstantial evidence led the FBI to suspect Hatfill was involved in the anthrax attacks that killed five people and sickened 17 just weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Then-Attorney General John Ashcroft publicly identified Hatfill, who worked at the Army's infectious diseases laboratory at Ft. Detrick, Md., from 1997 to 1999, as a "person of interest" in the investigation.

In June, the Justice Department agreed to pay Hatfill $5.8 million to settle a lawsuit claiming officials violated his privacy rights by speaking with reporters about the case.

No one has been charged in the attacks, although the government now believes another Army scientist, Bruce Ivins, was responsible. Ivins killed himself in July.

The Illinois attorney general has filed a motion with the state's highest court asking justices to remove scandal-plagued Gov. Rod Blagojevich bluh-GOY'-uh-vich) from office.

Lisa Madigan took the action Friday as pressure on the governor intensified to step down. The motion challenges his fitness to serve and asks that the Supreme Court oust him.

Madigan scheduled a news conference in Chicago Friday morning to discuss the motion.

The move came as the governor prayed with several ministers in his home before heading to his office, telling them he is innocent and will be vindicated "when you hear each chapter completely written," according to one of the pastors.

In an order issued late Monday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit says the slot auction cannot be held until a federal court rules on objections from New York airport officials and airlines.

Transportation Secretary Mary Peters called for the auction as a way to reduce air traffic at John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports. Peters' decision to auction slots followed widespread complaints last year about lengthy flight delays.

Airlines and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey filed suit saying the proposal would add new costs and make a mess of day-to-day airport operations.

It was Michael Schumacher and Kelly Layne Lau's first court appearance since their arrest following the boy's escape in nothing more than boxer shorts and a chain around his ankle. The teen was in search of help after allegedly spending more than a year in captivity.

The boy's one-time guardian, Caren Ramirez, also was charged with similar allegations Thursday. She remained under psychiatric evaluation awaiting her court appearance, expected as early as Monday.

Schumacher and Lau were charged with 13 felony counts, and Ramirez, whom the boy called an aunt, was charged with 10 counts. Among the charges are corporal injury to a child, child abuse and aggravated mayhem, which the San Joaquin County District Attorney's office said could yield life sentences.

Superior Court Judge Franklin Stephenson ordered Schumacher and Lau to be held in lieu of $2.2 million bail. They did not enter pleas.

The abuse at the couple's home in Tracy, about 60 miles east of San Francisco, started in July 2007, prosecutors said. The boy escaped from the home on Monday and fled to a nearby fitness center. He appeared emaciated and was covered in soot.