ABOUT MCDONNELL
Name: Robert F. McDonnell.
Age: 59; born June 15, 1954, in Philadelphia.
Home: Glen Allen, Va.
Political career: Virginia governor, 2010 to January 2014; Virginia attorney general, 2006 to February 2009; member of Virginia House of Delegates from 1992 through 2005.
Education: Bachelor's degree, University of Notre Dame, 1976; master's in business administration, Boston University, 1980; law degree and master's in public policy, Regent University, 1989.
Military service: Army, active duty 1976-1981, lieutenant colonel; Army Reserve, 1981-1997.
Associated Press
Family: Wife, Maureen, 59; five adult children: Jeanine, Cailin, Rachel; twins Bobby and Sean.
Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, once viewed as a rising star in the GOP, and his wife were indicted Tuesday on federal corruption charges accusing the couple of accepting tens of thousands of dollars in loans, shopping sprees, money for their daughter’s wedding — and even a joyride in a Ferrari — from the owner of a company that makes health supplements.
The 14-count indictment portrays the former governor as deeply entrenched in credit card debt even before he took office and willing to accept lavish gifts from Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams, who hoped the first couple’s endorsement for his products would yield big profits for his company.
McDonnell appeared Tuesday night at a hastily called news conference in Richmond to strongly deny any wrongdoing and denounce what he said was an “unjust overreach” by federal prosecutors.
“I did nothing illegal for Mr. Williams in exchange for what I believed was his personal friendship and his generosity,” said McDonnell, who was flanked by his wife, daughter and son-in-law as he read from prepared remarks.
McDonnell vowed to “use every available resource and advocate” to fight the charges.
While still in office, McDonnell apologized for accepting the gifts and repaid thousands of dollars to Williams. Limited to a single term by state law, McDonnell left the executive mansion earlier this month with his approval numbers low and his political future in tatters.
At one time, McDonnell had been considered a possible running mate for Mitt Romney. He delivered the 2010 Republican response to the State of the Union Address and became chairman of the Republican Governors Association in 2011.
Twelve of the counts are punishable by up to 20 years in prison each, and two are punishable up to 30 years. Fines can range from $250,000 to $1 million.
The 43-page indictment portrays a cozy relationship between the McDonnells and Williams that began even before he took office, with many of their interactions initiated by first lady Maureen McDonnell, sometimes in exchange for access to her husband.
The indictment also details a $50,000 loan Williams made to the McDonnells in May 2011, along with $15,000 for their daughter’s wedding. The money was later used to pay for catering costs for the wedding, as well as payments totaling nearly $20,000 for the family’s credit cards.
The next month, Star Scientific began jockeying for grant money that could be used for researching the potential health benefits of one of its products, Anatabloc. The grants could not be given to for-profit entities; so company officials began reaching out to state research universities, asking them to apply for the grants to conduct the research and citing support from the governor and his wife, who supported researching the company’s products.
The next month, the McDonnells enjoyed a lavish vacation at Williams’ multimillion-dollar home on Smith Mountain Lake, which included free reign over Williams’ personal Ferrari and a boat rented just for the occasion.
The gifts to the McDonnells and the benefits for Star Scientific continued, the indictment says, until the scheme finally began to unravel in February 2013 as the McDonnells attempted to avoid financial disclosure requirements that would have revealed the extent of their ties to Williams and his company.
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