U.S. Supreme Court to Consider McDonnell's Appeal

Photo by Michael Melkonian, CNS

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The U.S. Supreme Court will consider Friday whether to review former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s conviction on corruption charges. The justices are expected to meet in private to decide whether to hear the appeal.

The former Republican governor has been sentenced to prison for his actions, which centered on a relationship with a Richmond businessman who gave the governor and his wife gifts and loans.

The former governor has avoided prison time while the justices consider his appeal.

If the court decides not to hear the case, McDonnell would likely be reporting to prison soon. If it accepts the case, McDonnell would remain free at least until a decision, likely by June 2016.

Read: Timeline of Bob McDonnell Case

The former state attorneys general note in friend of the court briefs — pointed out in a column by George Will about the McDonnell case on Thursday — that if “the sweeping definition of ‘official act’” is allowed to stand, this “would federalize the law of public corruption,” something Congress has not chosen to do. Absent a Supreme Court intervention now, or a congressional decision down the road, federal prosecutors will be empowered “to transform innocent political courtesies into fodder for federal prosecutions.”

But others disagree with that take on the case. “This everybody-does-it argument has been the heart of McDonnell’s defense since his indictment two years ago,” writes Dale Eisman of Common Cause, in The Roanoke Times. “It didn’t work on the jury that listened to five weeks worth of evidence against McDonnell or on judges of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, who twice refused to overturn his convictions.”

Once a national political rising star, McDonnell was found guilty last year on 11 corruption counts. The governor’s wife, Maureen McDonnell, was found guilty of 9 corruption counts and one count of obstruction of justice.

The couple was charged in early 2014 with illegally accepting more than $165,000 in gifts, luxury vacations and large loans from Jonnie R. Williams Sr., a wealthy Richmond-area businessman.

The McDonnells allegedly asked for or accepted loans and gifts of money, clothes, golf tees and equipment, trips and private plane rides. In exchange, the couple allegedly lent the prestige of the governor’s office to Williams’ struggling dietary supplement company, Star Scientific.

Patch file photo. Thompson Wall and Greg Hambrick contributed to this report.