A jury today found former Virginia governor Robert J. McDonnell and his wife Maureen guilty of public corruption. The jury found that the McDonnells accepted $170,000 in gifts and bribes from Jonnie Williams, the CEO of a dietary supplement company in exchange for favors, NBC News reports.
Among the gifts Bob and Maureen McDonnell received from Williams were clothes worth $20,000 for Maureen, an engraved Rolex watch for the former governor, and a $15,000 wedding reception for the couple's daughter. The former governor, a Republican, was also treated to vacations. It was on one of those vacations that the McDonnells were photographed behind the wheel of a Ferrari belonging to Williams. The photo was submitted as evidence in the McDonnells' trial.
In exchange, McDonnell arranged meetings for Williams with state officials and allowed Williams to host an event at the governor's mansion, among other things.
Mr. McDonnell was convicted of 11 counts related to corruption; his wife was convicted of 8, The Washington Post reports.
In an unusual tactic, defense attorneys for the McDonnells argued that the couple's marriage was so rocky "that they could not possibly have conspired to commit a crime," NBC News reports. They also argued that Mrs. McDonnell was "gaga" for Jonnie Williams.
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