The U.S. Supreme Court says it won't review the appeal of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, who is serving time in federal prison on a corruption charge.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday morning denied Siegelman's request for a writ of certiorari - a request for review of his federal conviction. Justice Elena Kagan, who had once been involved in the case as U.S. Solicitor General, took no part in the consideration or decision of the petition.

Siegelman, a Democrat, was convicted by a federal court in 2006 on bribery, conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges in connection for appointing former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy to a place on a health planning board in return for a $500,000 donation to the governor's campaign for a statewide lottery.

Scrushy also served prison time for the scheme, but was released in 2012.

As Solicitor General, Kagan had stood against Siegelman's and Scrushy's appeals.

In 2009 Kagan had written arguments to the U.S. Supreme Court stating that the lower appeals court correctly decided jurors are allowed to infer, even from circumstantial evidence, that there was an agreement connecting the donation with the official action.

Kagan was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2010.

Siegelman is serving a 78-month sentence at the Oakdale Federal Corrections Institution in Louisiana and is set for release on Aug. 8, 2017.

Siegelman appealed again last year and in October more than 100 former attorneys' general submitted briefs on his behalf.