Corruption trial for former Virginia governor, wife opens with bombshell

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Fox News:

RICHMOND – Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen mounted a deeply personal defense at the start of their corruption trial in Richmond on Tuesday, with the attorney for the former first lady saying she was taken advantage of by a wealthy businessman whom she had a “crush” on.

 

The McDonnells are charged with 14 counts ranging from conspiracy to commit wire fraud to lying on banking forms, and if found guilty could be sentenced to decades in prison. During opening statements on Tuesday, federal prosecutors repeatedly accused the couple of engaging in a “quid pro quo,” trading political favors for gifts and loans from former Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams.

 

Defense attorneys for Maureen McDonnell, though, said that there could be no conspiracy because at the time of the alleged wrongdoing, the marriage between Bob and Maureen McDonnell had "broken down" and they were "barely on speaking terms."

 

According to the former first lady's attorney Bill Berg, everyone on the first lady's staff "knew how much she liked [Williams]." Berg described him as a frequent visitor and Maureen's "favorite playmate" -- describing many private visits and over 1,200 emails and texts between them over a two-year period.

 

Bob and Maureen McDonnell sat separately in court and had no interaction.

________

 

Most awkward get-together ever?

[Draggingtree]

· 04 Sep 2014 at 10:16 AM

· WHITE-COLLAR CRIME

The McDonnell Trial Shows What’s Wrong With Severance Law in Federal Criminal Cases

By MATT KAISER

 

As you’ve likely heard, there’s a Southern governor on trial for public corruption.

Shockingly, he’s not from Louisiana.

 

Former Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen are on trial for, in essence, taking gifts from a guy named Johnnie Williams in exchange for doing things in the governor’s mansion (there are also some bank fraud charges and obstruction charges, but frankly, in comparison to the public corruption stuff the bank fraud is terribly dreary).

 

After five weeks of trial and testimony, the case just went to the jury.

 

One thing that hasn’t been talked about during the trial much, is the defense severance motion that was denied at the very start.

http://abovethelaw.com/2014/09/the-mcdonnell-trial-shows-whats-wrong-with-severance-law-in-federal-criminal-cases/

[clearvision]

Ex-Virginia governor, wife found guilty on corruption charges