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 McDonnell, the first Virginia governor to be convicted of
bribe-taking, received a shorter sentence than that sought by
prosecutors for accepting sweetheart loans and lavish gifts from
entrepreneur Jonnie Williams.
McDonnell, once a rising star in the Republican Party, was convicted
in September along with his estranged wife, Maureen, after a
five-week trial that laid bare rifts in their marriage and marred
Virginia's reputation for clean government. McDonnell left office in
January 2014.
"No one wants to see the governor of Virginia in this kind of
trouble," U.S. District Judge James Spencer said before imposing
sentence in a packed courtroom. "It breaks my heart, but a
meaningful sentence must be imposed."
McDonnell, 60, was ordered to report to prison on Feb. 9. Defense
attorneys asked that he be sent to a facility in Petersburg,
Virginia, so he could be close to his family.
McDonnell appealed to Spencer for mercy, saying: "I've admitted I am
a sinner with many, many failures." After sentencing, McDonnell told
reporters the conviction would be appealed.
Spencer cited McDonnell's military record and numerous letters he
had received on his behalf in imposing the sentence. Eleven
character witnesses testified for McDonnell, including former
Democratic Governor L. Douglas Wilder.
Prosecutors had sought a 10- to 12-year prison term under advisory
federal sentencing guidelines. McDonnell's lawyers had sought a
community service sentence instead of prison time.
Dana Boente, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia,
said in a statement the sentence would help restore the integrity of
the governor's office while affirming the commitment to prosecute
officials who commit crimes.
A jury found McDonnell guilty of 11 charges of public corruption in
September. He and his wife were charged with receiving $177,000 in
loans and gifts from Williams, the chief executive of Star
Scientific Inc, in exchange for promoting his company's main
product, the anti-inflammatory Anatabloc.
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Gifts included a $6,500 Rolex watch, wedding and engagement
presents, money for McDonnell's daughters, and golf outings and
equipment.
Williams, who was granted immunity in exchange for testifying for
the prosecution, provided a $50,000 loan and a $15,000 "gift" to
cover wedding expenses for McDonnell's daughter. He also gave a
$70,000 loan to a corporation that the governor and his sister used
to manage beach properties.
Maureen McDonnell, 60, was convicted of nine counts, but Spencer
dismissed the obstruction of justice charge last month. She is
scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 20.
After the trial, state lawmakers and Democratic Governor Terry
McAuliffe moved to tighten ethics rules in a bid to restore
Virginia's reputation.
"As we put this period behind us, I look forward to working with
Virginia leaders on both sides of the aisle to restore public trust
in our government," McAuliffe said in a statement.
(Reporting by Gary Robertson; Writing by Ian Simpson in Washington;
Editing by Bill Trott, Will Dunham, Sandra Maler and Peter Cooney)
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