Former Gov. Bob McDonnell, 59 and his wife, Maureen, have been indicted on federal corruption charges.
The McDonnells were indicted on Monday, according to a report in the Washington Post. The couple was charged with illegally accepting gifts, vacations and large personal loans from Jonnie Williams, the then-CEO of Star Scientific, a dietary-supplement company that sought special treatment from the state government under Gov. McDonnell’s watch.
The McDonnells face 14 felony counts, including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, obtaining property under color of their official office, conspiring to obtain property under the color of official office and making false statements to a federal credit union.
Bob McDonnell was also charged with making a false statement to a financial institution, and Maureen McDonnell was charged with obstructing the investigation.
McDonnell, 59, is the first Virginia governor to face criminal charges for conduct in office.
In a statement, a lawyer for McDonnell released a statement from the former governor denying that he had broken the law.
“I deeply regret accepting legal gifts and loans from Mr. Williams, all of which have been repaid with interest, and I have apologized for my poor judgment for which I take full responsibility. However, I repeat emphatically that I did nothing illegal for Mr. Williams in exchange for what I believed was his personal generosity and friendship,” McDonnell said in the statement.
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Chris Graham
