Appeals Court Affirms Guilty Verdicts for Former Gov. McDonnell

A three-judge panel from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Friday announced they have affirmed the guilty verdicts for former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, according to several media reports.

McDonnell and his wife were convicted after a six-week jury trial in September of corruption charges of accepting gifts and loans from Star Scientific CEO Jonnie R. Williams Sr. McDonnell was sentenced in January to two years in prison. His wife Maureen McDonnell was sentenced to a year and a day in prison.

McDonnell still has the option to appeal to the full-court panel or to the U.S. Supreme Court.

McDonnell has not served any prison time while his case made its way through the appeals process. The court ruled in January that McDonnell was not a flight risk or danger to the community and the appeal is “not for the purpose of delay and raises a substantive question of law or fact.”

It’s unclear whether McDonnell will be allowed to remain free on bond if he continues the appeals process.

Photo by Michael Melkonian, CNS