Former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell made some mistakes. Chief among them was being a rising star in the republican party. Politicized federal prosecutors twisted a series of typical if unseemly events into a massive political corruption prosecution. They targeted not only McDonnell but his wife, clearly using her as leverage for a guilty plea to their shaky charges.
The evidence against McDonnell was that he and his wife had received a lot of gifts from a wealthy benefactor and constituent. They totaled some $175,000 in value over a period of time apparently, which while large enough to get your attention, wouldn't buy tea with Hillary Clinton. The gifts themselves were legal, and the donor was not prosecuted. The charge was that McDonnell conducted official acts in exchange for the favors, which would be a violation of federal corruption laws. The problem was that there was zero evidence of any quid pro quo. The prosecution presented a collection of minor acts, like attending parties or making phone calls, which looked a lot like standard constituent service. Even the Washington Post, no friend of any virginia republicans, opined in its editorial page that the conviction was unjust.
The Supreme Court agreed. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/28/us/politics/supreme-court-bob-mcdonnell-virginia.html?_r=0
The Court held that the jury was allowed to consider acts that were clearly not relevant under federal corruption statutes.
The scary thing is that a federal prosecutor, the U. S. Attorney, the Justice Department, a federal trial judge and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals all were prepared to send the governor of a state to prison for acts that wouldn't make the Clintons' top 100 list of scandals. The same thing happened to Tom DeLay, once the most powerful republican in the House until he was prosecuted for being a republican politician. Ditto sitting Texas governor Rick Perry. And former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, whose prosecution as so corrupt and unethical that Eric Holder pulled the plug on it.
None of these prosecutors suffered much if any professional damage for being political hitmen. The cowardly congressional republicans said nothing, afraid of being attacked by the media for supporting corruption. The black whiners saying police consider "driving while black" to be probable cause for arrest. I suppose the same thing now applies to "holding office while republican."
The evidence against McDonnell was that he and his wife had received a lot of gifts from a wealthy benefactor and constituent. They totaled some $175,000 in value over a period of time apparently, which while large enough to get your attention, wouldn't buy tea with Hillary Clinton. The gifts themselves were legal, and the donor was not prosecuted. The charge was that McDonnell conducted official acts in exchange for the favors, which would be a violation of federal corruption laws. The problem was that there was zero evidence of any quid pro quo. The prosecution presented a collection of minor acts, like attending parties or making phone calls, which looked a lot like standard constituent service. Even the Washington Post, no friend of any virginia republicans, opined in its editorial page that the conviction was unjust.
The Supreme Court agreed. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/28/us/politics/supreme-court-bob-mcdonnell-virginia.html?_r=0
The Court held that the jury was allowed to consider acts that were clearly not relevant under federal corruption statutes.
The scary thing is that a federal prosecutor, the U. S. Attorney, the Justice Department, a federal trial judge and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals all were prepared to send the governor of a state to prison for acts that wouldn't make the Clintons' top 100 list of scandals. The same thing happened to Tom DeLay, once the most powerful republican in the House until he was prosecuted for being a republican politician. Ditto sitting Texas governor Rick Perry. And former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, whose prosecution as so corrupt and unethical that Eric Holder pulled the plug on it.
None of these prosecutors suffered much if any professional damage for being political hitmen. The cowardly congressional republicans said nothing, afraid of being attacked by the media for supporting corruption. The black whiners saying police consider "driving while black" to be probable cause for arrest. I suppose the same thing now applies to "holding office while republican."