VIRGINIA – A federal jury returned guilty verdicts Thursday against former Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and his wife Maureen for participating in a scheme to violate federal public corruption laws.
Jurors Robert McDonnell and Maureen McDonnell, both 60 and of Glen Allen, Virginia, were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit honest-services wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to obtain property under color of official right.
Robert McDonnell was convicted of three counts of honest-services wire fraud and six counts of obtaining property under color of official right.
Maureen McDonnell was convicted on two of the three honest services wire fraud counts and five of the six counts of obtaining property under color of official right. Maureen McDonnell also was convicted of one count of obstruction of an official proceeding.
In total, Robert McDonnell was convicted of 11 of 13 counts and Maureen McDonnell was convicted of 9 of 13 counts.
“As Virginia’s governor, Robert McDonnell and his wife turned public service into a money-making enterprise, abusing the Commonwealth’s highest office to benefit a Virginia businessman in exchange for more than $170,000 in gifts and loans,” said Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell.
Adding, “In pursuit of a lifestyle that they could ill afford, McDonnell and his wife eagerly accepted luxury items, designer clothes, free vacations and the businessman’s offer to pay the costs of their daughter’s wedding. In return, McDonnell put the weight of the governor’s mansion behind the businessman’s corporate interests. The former governor was elected to serve the people of Virginia, but his corrupt actions instead betrayed them. Today’s convictions should send a message that corruption in any form, at any level of government, will not be tolerated.”
Virginia governor Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, has brought down a verdict.
The couple will be sentenced in January.
According to the evidence, from April 2011 through March 2013, the McDonnells participated in a scheme to use the former governor’s official position to enrich themselves and their family members by soliciting and obtaining payments, loans, gifts and other things of value from Star Scientific, a Virginia-based corporation, and Jonnie R. Williams Sr., then Star Scientific’s chief executive officer.
The McDonnells obtained the things of value in exchange for the former governor performing official actions on an as-needed basis to legitimize, promote, and obtain research studies for Star’s products, including the dietary supplement Anatabloc.
Also the evidence showed that the McDonnells obtained from Williams more than $170,000 in direct payments as gifts and loans, thousands of dollars in golf outings, and numerous other things of value.
As part of the scheme, authorities said the official actions that Robert McDonnell performed included arranging meetings for Williams with Virginia government officials, hosting and attending events at the Governor’s Mansion designed to encourage Virginia university researchers to initiate studies of Star’s products and to promote Star’s products to doctors for referral to their patients.
In addition, the McDonnells also contacted other Virginia government officials as part of an effort to encourage state research universities to initiate studies of Star’s products, and promoting Star’s products.
The evidence further showed that the McDonnells attempted to conceal the things of value received from Williams and Star to hide the nature and scope of their dealings with Williams from the citizens of Virginia. They did this by routing things of value through family members and corporate entities controlled by the former governor to avoid annual disclosure requirements.
Similarly, on Feb. 15, 2013, Maureen McDonnell was questioned by law enforcement about the loans and made false and misleading statements regarding the defendants’ relationship with Williams.
Additionally, after her interview with law enforcement, Maureen McDonnell drafted a handwritten note to Williams in which she falsely attempted to make it appear that she and Williams had previously discussed and agreed that she would return certain designer luxury goods rather than keep them permanently, all as part of an effort to obstruct, influence, and impede the investigation, according to officials.
While leaving the courtroom McDonnell was asked what he had to say to the people of Virginia, according to Wjz- TV 13 News, a CBS affiliate.
“I’d like to say my trust remains in the lord,” he told reporters while being swarmed by a number of media representatives.
During the 5-week trial, the McDonnell’s presented a soap-opera like defense. Bob McDonnell claimed he and his wife had no communication during the 22 month investigation.