PEORIA — Attorneys for the U.S. government say Aaron Schock's request to move his federal corruption trial from Springfield to Peoria should be denied as the 75-minute drive is nothing for the former congressman who travels all over the world.

"Defendant Schock is thus no different from and is entitled to nothing more than the Adams County defendant whose trial takes place in Springfield, or the Schuyler or Hancock County defendant whose trial takes place in Rock Island, or the McLean County defendant whose trial takes place in Peoria," the 21-page response to Schock's motion last month stated.

Federal prosecutors also attacked a statement in Schock's motion last week where he said he received no answer as to why the case was in Springfield and not Peoria.

"In response to Defendant Schock’s inquiry, the government specifically advised him that the matter was filed in Springfield due to the referral of the matter by the Chief Judge of this district" to the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough, who is in Springfield.

In addition, Tim Bass, the assistant U.S. attorney prosecuting the case, blasted Schock's contention that the case had no ties to Springfield by noting that 10 counties of the Peoria Republican's former congressional district fell within the Springfield division and that several witnesses to the trial, which is expected to last four to six weeks, are from all over the state.

The motion also claims Schock's press conference on the day the 24-count indictment was announced created a great deal of pretrial publicity and could affect jury selection.

Lastly, Bass said it was "surprising" that Schock felt a hardship by having the trial away from Peoria, given that he travels "to Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and Washington D.C., and internationally to Jamaica, Peru, China, Hong Kong, Mexico and Canada, and given that his legal expenses have been borne by his campaign funds and not him personally."

The government is also seeking to limit out-of-court statements as a way to cut down on pretrial publicity.

Myerscough could take up these motions and other issues at Schock's arraignment Monday in her Springfield courtroom.

The charges against Schock allege a course of conduct that began when the Peoria Republican was first elected to Congress in 2008 and continued until October 2015, about six months after he resigned from office. He faces charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, making false statements, filing a false tax return, theft of government funds and falsification of Federal Election Commission filings. All are felonies that could send him to prison for several years.

In all, it's alleged that he stole more than $100,000 from the government and his campaign committees.