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 Prosecutors are seeking 10 to 12 years in prison for McDonnell,
who was convicted in September along with his estranged wife,
Maureen, in a trial that laid bare rifts in their marriage.
Attorneys for the former Republican governor want him to serve 6,000
hours of community service rather than go to prison.
McDonnell, the first Virginia governor convicted of taking a bribe,
will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Spencer in Richmond.
A jury found McDonnell, 60, guilty of 11 charges of public
corruption. He and his wife were charged with receiving $177,000 in
loans and gifts from dietary supplement entrepreneur Jonnie Williams
Sr. in exchange for promoting his company's main product, the
anti-inflammatory Anatabloc.
In seeking a community service sentence, defense lawyer Jonathan
Berry has argued that McDonnell has suffered enough. McDonnell, who
also served as Virginia attorney general, cannot practice law, his
political career is dead and his marriage has fallen apart, Berry
wrote in a sentencing filing.
 McDonnell likely will lose his state pension, will have to sell the
family home and will be deep in debt, he said.
U.S. Attorney Dana Boente rejected the argument, saying in a court
document McDonnell merited punishment within the federal sentencing
guidelines.
Sixty percent of Virginia adults believe that McDonnell should go to
prison, according to a poll in October by the University of Mary
Washington's Center for Leadership and Media Studies.
During the five-week trial, prosecutors contended McDonnell and his
wife conspired to use the governor's office to boost Williams'
company, Star Scientific Inc, and Anatabloc.
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Gifts to the couple included a $6,500 Rolex watch, wedding and
engagement presents, money for McDonnell's daughters, and golf
outings and equipment.
Williams provided a $50,000 loan and a $15,000 "gift" to cover
wedding expenses. 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. He ruled
that prosecutors had failed to prove she intended to block a grand
jury.
The former first lady is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 20.
Attorneys for the couple have said they will appeal the convictions.
(Reporting by Gary Robertson; Editing by Bill Trott)
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