Former Congressman TJ Cox is close to striking a plea deal with the federal government.
Court documents show that Cox, who entered a not guilty plea, has requested a change of plea hearing in July.
The backstory: Cox, a Democrat, served one term in Congress from 2019-2021 and was arrested in August 2022 after being indicted by a federal grand jury for multiple financial crimes, including wire fraud and money laundering.
The big picture: U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara McAuliffe granted Cox a delay in the case in March as a plea deal was being worked out, saying at the time that she would not grant another delay absent good cause.
- But Cox has been granted one more delay to the hearing that was scheduled for May 22, pushing it back to July 29.
- Cox’s attorneys and the federal government issued a joint request to delay the hearing and set a change of plea hearing for July 29.
- That allows both parties to finalize plea terms and file change of plea documents.
- Court documents also state that Cox’s attorney Mark Coleman is recovering from a recent illness and medical procedure and needs additional time to consult with Cox.
