Ex-Va. administrator McDonnell to be condemned today

WUSA-TV, Washington, D.C.

RICHMOND, Va. — Former Virginia administrator Bob McDonnell will learn his predestine this morning

McDonnell was found guilty Sept. 4. on 11 of 13 sovereign charges filed opposite him, trade entrance to a energy of a governor’s bureau for some-more than $165,000 in loans and high-end gifts.

Judge James R. Spencer, who presided over a six-week trial, has perceived roughly 450 letters attesting to McDonnell’s firmness and seeking for mercy.

His wife, Maureen, attempted during a same time as her husband, was convicted on 9 of 13 charges filed opposite her. One of her philosophy was after dropped. Her sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 20. The businessman who was seeking supervision support for his company’s products, former Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams, perceived shield for testifying opposite a McDonnells.

Prosecutors are recommending McDonnell, 60, be condemned to 10 years or some-more in sovereign prison. Defense lawyers have asked that McDonnell accept hearing and be condemned to 6,000 hours of complete village service.

Sentencing is during a judge’s discretion.

Support from family and friends

Included among a scarcely 1,000 pages of papers filed by McDonnell’s authorised group are 443 letters from family, friends and former colleagues propelling a decider to give a former administrator a kindly sentence.

Each of McDonnell’s 5 children — he has 3 daughters and twin sons — wrote letters on their father’s behalf. Some children told a decider that it was their mom who done bad decisions and solicited income and gifts behind their dad’s behind and but his knowledge.

McDonnell also perceived support from important domestic and business figures, including U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Va., Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms, former Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney Harvey Bryant and developer Bruce Thompson.

One of a McDonnell jurors

“Good people can do bad things,” pronounced Robin Trujillo.

“We talked, we went by papers about a testimony and looked during all a evidence. It was only overwhelming. It was also only staring us in a face,” Trujillo said.

She’s uneasy by all a letters seeking leniency.

“It was not only some tiny small thing. It was vital and it went on for a really prolonged time,” Trujillo said.

Many of a 400 letters demonstrate to a former governor’s character.

“It’s never been about how good we are. It’s what we did. What we authorised to happen,” Trujillo said.

Political researcher Bob Holsworth, who celebrated a trial, pronounced he was astounded by some a letters, including one from McDonnell’s sister Maureen, that repeats a unsuccessful invulnerability plan of blaming his wife.

“Why a invulnerability would capacitate or interest letters that would in some approach replay a route again, seemed to me to be a really extraordinary plan and one that we don’t consider is going to work really well,” pronounced Holsworth.

Appeal likely

Henry Asbill, one of McDonnell’s lead attorneys, pronounced in Sep that his customer would appeal. An appeal, however, can't be filed until after sentencing.

Throughout a hearing and in a months since, McDonnell and his lawyers have argued that a laws underneath that he was convicted are unconstitutionally vague.

Most of a charges that were filed opposite a McDonnells branch from a Hobbs Act, that creates it bootleg for open officials to take bribes.

Prosecutors contend that McDonnell took gifts from Williams in sell for a stability tide of favors and access. But, during trial, they concurred that they could not pinpoint one specific quid pro quo. Because of that, McDonnell’s lawyers argue, their customer should not have been convicted.

On Monday, a day before a sentencing, McDonnell’s attorneys filed a suit seeking a decider to concede a former administrator to sojourn out of jail on bond even after he is condemned tentative a outcome of a appeal.

Defense attorneys disagree that their interest will lift new and poignant authorised questions that could have a vital temperament on a outcome of his case.

If McDonnell does accept jail time, Spencer could extend him bond, sequence him to news to jail during a after date or sequence U.S. Marshals to take him into control immediately.

Contributing: Peggy Fox, WUSA-TV, Washington.

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