Former New Orleans City Councilwoman Renee Gill Pratt has lost a bid for a new trial.
The New Orleans Advocate is reporting that federal judge Ivan Lemelle ruled Wednesday that jurors were not "tainted in any way" by a former federal prosecutor who posted online inflammatory comments about the proceedings.
She was convicted in 2011 of racketeering.
Gill Pratt's attorney says he will appeal the decision.
The ruling paves the way for Gill Pratt to begin serving a federal prison sentence she has managed to put off for several years.
Lemelle had ordered Gill Pratt to surrender September 2 to begin serving 50 months behind bars.