Posted on 01/06/2015 12:27:10 PM PST by iowamark
Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell was sentenced today to two years in prison for public corruption.
U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer said McDonnell must report to prison on Feb. 9. Spencer said he was moved by the support for the former governor, but "a price must be paid. Unlike Pontius Pilate, I can't wash my hands of it all. A meaningful sentence must be imposed."
Earlier, McDonnell addressed the court, asking that Spencer show him and his wife, Maureen, mercy.
"I stand before you a heartbroken and humbled man," he said.
The sentence could be seen as a victory for McDonnell's attorneys. Prosecutors sought at least 10 years and one month to as long as 12 years and seven months in prison for the acceptance of bribes totaling $177,000 while McDonnell was governor. Spencer had earlier lowered the recommended sentence to 6 1/2 to 8 years.
McDonnell's attorneys had asked for community service rather than prison time. The former governor is expected to appeal today's sentence.
Virginia's former governor and his wife, Maureen, were convicted in September of multiple counts of corruption stemming from a relationship with Jonnie Williams, the CEO of Star Scientific. The couple accepted money, expensive gifts and vacations from Williams in exchange for government favors as Williams sought to market his company's dietary supplements. The Washington Post listed several of the gifts, which included a Rolex watch, a shopping trip in New York City, wedding catering for the McDonnells' daughter Cailin and several golf outings for the couple's sons on a private jet.
Defense attorneys had argued for a sentence of 6,000 hours of community service based on, among other things, McDonnell's service as governor and what they argued was his acceptance of responsibility for the offenses. The prosecution counters that McDonnell's case should serve as an example of political corruption and its consequences.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that the defense submitted a 29-page memo asking that the former governor be allowed to remain free pending an appeal.
Virginia Public Radio's Craig Carper told NPR's Newscast that more than 400 letters were written by McDonnell's family members, friends and supporters, as well as elected officials, asking Spencer for leniency.
Maureen McDonnell will be sentenced separately on Feb. 20.
2 years?
Good grief. They should have made an example out of him. At least 10. These politicians need to be held to a higher standard if they are charged with lording over the masses.
>> It is harder to point to anything McDonnell got from Williams <<
IIRC, one of the judge’s instructions to the jury said they didn’t need to find anything definite that McDonnell got from Williams. They only needed to detect something that didn’t seem correct. So in effect, the jury was told they could convict merely on the basis of suspicion. That instruction ought to be the basis for a very strong appeal.
If McDonnell is in jail for implied corruption what would the parallel punishment be for Hillary’s handling of Benghazi?
James Trafficant got 7 years for similar type stuff. Two years is fair. I thought 10 was way too much. For a guy like McDonnell the public humiliation and loss of career is devastating to start off with.
Her sentencing is scheduled for next month.
McDonnell was my governor, and I really liked him when he took office. Now I see him as just another corrupt politician, and a Romney lover to boot. I can't work up a lot of tears for him.
I do note, however, that the Republican McDonnell gets jail time, and the POS crook Terry McAuliffe sits in the governor's mansion.
The latest as of yesterday Jan 26 is that a 3 judge panel of a Fed appeals court basically says ....I paraphrase...They see many problems with this conviction/indictment and the likelihood of a reversal or new trial is great
His conviction reeked of a witch hunt
you realize of course that a US Fed appeals Court yesterday as much as said there will be either a new trial or a reversal...I paraphrase
Funny the story seems to be almost buried....There is a link that shows this, nobody has posted it here and I dont think Drudge covered it,.. I got it today on the 700 Club at the beginning of the program from Pat himself
Yes you can find the link via google
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