Why is this man smiling? Probably because he's not getting frog-marched. (Not this week, at least.) Photograph by Flickr user Gage Skidmore.
Federal prosecutors were all set to haul Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, into court in connection with the ongoing Star Scientific scandal, but thanks to the McDonnells’ lawyers appealing directly to top Justice Department officials, the indictments will wait until the McDonnells are out of the governors mansion, the Washington Post reported Wednesday night.
Prosecutors were reportedly set to drop indictments on Monday, alleging that the McDonnells promoted vitamin manufacturer Star Scientific in exchange for $165,000 in gifts from the company’s chief executive, Johnnie R. Williams. The Post reports, though, that the McDonnells’ lawyers went around the local US attorney last Thursday and pleaded directly with Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole to question the credibilty of a key witness and ask for a delay in the indictments.
The McDonnells were told the following day that the indictments would not come right away, and that the decision on whether or not to charge the governor and his wife will be made no sooner than early January, and likely not before January 11, when Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe is sworn in.
Bob McDonnell, once a rising star in the Republican Party and considered a possible 2016 presidential candidate, has apologized to Virginia residents profusely while maintaining he has done nothing wrong. Meanwhile, those same residents have been stuck with the bill for his legal fees, which totaled $575,000 through November. With this week’s cancelled indictments, if he does get charged, at least it’ll happen when he’s a private citizen again.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Bob McDonnell Nearly Got Indicted This Week
If the Virginia governor gets charged for his role in a gift scandal, it won't happen until he's out of office.
Federal prosecutors were all set to haul Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, into court in connection with the ongoing Star Scientific scandal, but thanks to the McDonnells’ lawyers appealing directly to top Justice Department officials, the indictments will wait until the McDonnells are out of the governors mansion, the Washington Post reported Wednesday night.
Prosecutors were reportedly set to drop indictments on Monday, alleging that the McDonnells promoted vitamin manufacturer Star Scientific in exchange for $165,000 in gifts from the company’s chief executive, Johnnie R. Williams. The Post reports, though, that the McDonnells’ lawyers went around the local US attorney last Thursday and pleaded directly with Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole to question the credibilty of a key witness and ask for a delay in the indictments.
The McDonnells were told the following day that the indictments would not come right away, and that the decision on whether or not to charge the governor and his wife will be made no sooner than early January, and likely not before January 11, when Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe is sworn in.
Bob McDonnell, once a rising star in the Republican Party and considered a possible 2016 presidential candidate, has apologized to Virginia residents profusely while maintaining he has done nothing wrong. Meanwhile, those same residents have been stuck with the bill for his legal fees, which totaled $575,000 through November. With this week’s cancelled indictments, if he does get charged, at least it’ll happen when he’s a private citizen again.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Trump Hotel Employees Reveal What It Was Really Like Catering to the Right Wing Elite
The Bulwark Was Founded to Oppose Trump. Now What?
Washington’s Most Influential People
Jonathan Swan’s Face Is the 2020 Meme We Needed
March 4 Isn’t the Only Date on the QAnon Calendar
Washingtonian Magazine
March 2021: The Influencers
View IssueSubscribe
Get Us on Social
Get Us on Social
Related
Emma Coronel Aispuro—El Chapo’s Wife—Has Been Booked Into the Alexandria Jail
More Bad News for Jack Evans: His Subaru’s Been Stolen
Bethesda Bike Assaulter Gets Probation
Bethesda Bike Assaulter Pleads Guilty
More from News & Politics
Glenstone Will Host Its First Touring Exhibit When It Reopens This Spring
Check Out This Huge Crochet Mural of Kamala Harris at the Wharf
DC Is Replacing Its Current Vaccine Sign-Up System
Howard Is Renaming Its Law Library After Alumnus and Civil Rights Figure Vernon Jordan
There’s a New Mural of Amanda Gorman in Dupont Circle
The Week Covid Changed Washington
A New DC Program Lets Housebound Seniors Sign Up for Zoom Sessions with Rescue Animals
Axios Political Reporter Alexi McCammond is Teen Vogue’s New Editor