Corruption charges against former
Virginia governor, wife dropped
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[September 09, 2016]
By Tim Ahmann
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on
Thursday dropped corruption charges against former Virginia Governor
Robert McDonnell and his wife, bringing to a close a case that tarnished
the once-rising star of the Republican Party.
"After carefully considering the Supreme Court’s recent decision and the
principles of federal prosecution, we have made the decision not to
pursue the case further," the U.S. Justice Department said in a
statement.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out McDonnell's bribery
convictions in a ruling that could make it tougher to prosecute
politicians for corruption.
The eight justices, liberals and conservatives alike, overturned
McDonnell's 2014 conviction, saying that his conduct fell short of an
"official act" in exchange for a bribe as required for conviction under
federal bribery law.
Jurors had convicted McDonnell for accepting $177,000 in luxury gifts
and sweetheart loans to him and his wife Maureen McDonnell from a
wealthy Richmond businessman seeking to promote a dietary supplement.
He was sentenced to two years in prison but remained free pending
appeal.
The case was a rare instance of the nation's highest court reviewing a
high-level public official's criminal conviction. The court sent the
case back to lower courts to determine if there was sufficient evidence
for a jury to convict McDonnell, which had kept alive the possibility of
a new trial.
His lawyers applauded the decision, saying in a statement on Thursday:
"Governor McDonnell can finally move on from the nightmare of the last
three years and begin rebuilding his life."
McDonnell served as governor from 2010 to 2014 and once was considered a
possible U.S. vice presidential candidate. His wife was convicted in a
separate trial and given a one-year sentence but remained free while
pursuing a separate appeal.
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Former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell is surrounded by members
of the media after his sentencing hearing in Richmond, Virginia
January 6, 2015. REUTERS/Jay Westcott
The Supreme Court ruling effectively applied to Maureen McDonnell
too, meaning that her conviction also had to be tossed out.
Her attorney said in a statement on Thursday: "We are thrilled and
thankful that Maureen can now move on with her life."
Legal observers have noted that the Supreme Court ruling opens the
possibility that politicians could sell meetings and other forms of
access without violating federal law.
The decision was criticized by Citizens for Responsibility and
Ethics in Washington, a corruption watchdog group. It said in a
statement the Justice Department had "sent a clear signal that it
would not aggressively enforce corruption laws to hold public
officials accountable when they abuse their office.”
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