The high court on Monday asked the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago to reconsider an appeal by Ryan, who has served more than three years of his 6 1/2-year sentence.
The former governor was convicted of steering state contracts and leases to political insiders while he was secretary of state and then as governor, receiving vacations and gifts in return. He also was accused of stopping an investigation into secretary of state employees accepting bribes in exchange for truck driver's licenses.
Justices since have severely curtailed prosecutors' use of "honest services" law, which was used in Ryan's conviction.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.