A federal appeals court has upheld the fraud convictions of Earl Brian, former chairman of United Press International and Financial News Network and a former state Cabinet member.
Brian was convicted in 1996 of bank fraud, lying to auditors and conspiring to cover up financial problems at UPI and FNN in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison but is free on bail during his appeal.He was state Health and Welfare secretary under Gov. Ronald Reagan and unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 1984.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his convictions and sentence in a 3-0 ruling Wednesday, rejecting defense claims of judicial bias and errors in the admission of evidence.