Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, were found guilty of public corruption by a federal jury. The seven men and five women jury found that they lent the prestige of the governor’s office to Jonnie R. Williams Sr. golf outings, lavish vacations and $120,000 in sweetheart loans.
The verdict means that Mr McDonnell, who was already the first governor in Virginia history to be charged with a crime, now holds an even more unwanted distinction: the first ever to be convicted of one. He and his wife face decades in federal prison, though their actual sentence could fall well short of that. U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer set a sentencing hearing for Jan. 6, 2015. [The Washington Post, 4 Sep 2014]
Out of the 14 counts of corruption, Mr McDonnell was guilty of 11 counts. His wife, Maureen, was guilty of 8 counts (see graphic illustration). The former first couple were indicted in 21 Jan 2014, 10 days after Mr McDonnell concluded his four-year term in office. The defense attorneys noted, Williams was testifying with generous immunity agreements. Williams spilling the beans, indicates that Mr McDonnell failed to deliver his part of the bargain.