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Bearing Drift

The Bob McDonnell I KnewPolitics

I thought it was odd that this guy in a tie was wearing sneakers, but he walked a lot of neighborhoods in the 1999 campaign, and I couldn’t wait to sign up. He walked practically every weeknight and the campaign signed up people to walk with him. I signed up a lot, three times a week usually. Me and Bob McDonnell walking the 84th.

I had an easy job. Walk ahead and see if someone was home while Bob wrote “Sorry I missed you” on the lit. The tough job was when I had to say, “Delegate, we have to be going” because people just wouldn’t let Bob leave.

We stop to talk to a wonderful lady, about 70, who invited both of us inside. Bob and I sat in a living room as she bragged about how she made a batch of iced tea today, and she would love for us to have some.

Spent a half hour with her, not talking a word about politics and I tried motioning to Bob that we had to go. He wouldn’t hear of it. He sat and sipped iced tea, and talked with her about the neighborhood, the weather….anything. Then we went out into the summer heat to meet her neighbors.

On these walk nights, we talked politics a lot, and I said I wanted nothing more than to make it a career – not as a candidate so much, but as a pro. That 1999 campaign was my first class. He taught me direct mail and radio, media and messaging, ground game and contrasts. His campaign team must’ve been irritated by how much I was around, but they never showed it. There was always something I could do that really needed to get done.

Shoot ahead a few years. Bob’s daughter, Jeanine, was serving in the military in Iraq and was coming home for a couple weeks. The whole family was going to the airport to greet her and spend her stay together. Flight was going to be late at night.

Bob and I were talking that day and out of the blue he said “you should meet us at the airport.” I was floored and frankly I didn’t want to impose myself into what was a family event. “Don’t be silly.”

Flight wound up even later than we thought, but there I was with all the McDonnells at the Norfolk Airport. Maureen was very upbeat and obviously missing her daughter. The kids weren’t kids anymore, and Bob seemed to enjoy talking politics in the waiting time. When Jeanine walked, more like ran, to her dad, and he hugged her with the family surrounding, I felt very special. For a small moment, I was family, too.

I snapped some photos of the moment and emailed them to Maureen, who was happy to see them. Least I could do.

Bob McDonnell made people feel special. I had lunch, dinners and buffets in the McDonnell Governor’s mansion. I got in there more than Johnnie Williams. And it wasn’t for any other reason than because that’s what Bob McDonnell did – he helped anyone who he could help, and invited them into his circle, no matter if they were Johnnie Williams or some punk kid in Virginia Beach who wanted to be a political consultant someday.

Obama’s pitbulls targeted Bob McDonnell to make him a criminal, too busy I guess for Lincoln-bedroom-selling McAuliffe, the politically-motivated snipers at the IRS, the “what does it matter now” gal who won’t talk about Benghazi, or the “don’t look at people who bribed me” Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.

Bob McDonnell is no criminal. He never once had a criminal intent for any action he took. And if having a dinner in the Governor’s Mansion is a criminal act, then someone is going to have to prosecute Thomas Jefferson, or at least Dolly Madison.

Bob McDonnell is and remains a good man. I have no doubt that these unjust rulings will be overturned. If they aren’t, there are three more Virginia Governors waiting for their cuffs for similar actions.

  • Pingback: The Real Bob McDonnell | The Bull Elephant()

  • Policy Wonk

    Bob McDonnell was a brilliant lawyer. If he were a greedy man, he would have been a multi-millionaire. But his committment to public service meant that the family was not well-off. He certainly didn’t take a bunch of stuff for money, because he never did anything in exchange for it. If being friendly to constituents is a crime, all officials would go to jail. What is legal if this verdict stands? Nothing at all.

    • mark4java

      Yeah that “she’s a nutcase” defense he and his Establishment A-list of Dream Team lawyers concocted was sheer brilliance. “Being friendly to constituents” is a childish summation of what this case was about and ultimately what both were convicted of. Perhaps like the author you too are in awe of these political celebrity wanna-bes.

      • Chad Parker

        “Being friendly to constituents” goes to intent. The case boiled down to Bob’s word against Johnnie’s. The jury saw the admitted liar with an additional 10 million reasons to lie again as more trustworthy than the former governor. The author is pointing out, from personal experience, that the jury was wrong in their analysis of his character.

        • Chris B

          there was more to it than that, and if that is what you think happened you just weren’t paying attention.

          • Chad Parker

            Care to give any examples?

          • Chris B

            The biggest problem with your analysis is that the jury’s job wasn’t to judge his character. Their job was to judge whether he was guilty of crimes that he was indicted on by other citizens (ie the grand jury). There are plenty of good people who are in jail because of mistakes. He took personal gifts, money, and travel – not through a PAC, but personally – and then used his office to promote the man’s products.

            I can’t give you examples because your asking the wrong question. This isn’t about his character, its about his choices (and his wife). For someone who is so smart, such a good lawyer, and so ethical how could he NOT know how close to the line he was? There is a “there” there, that much is clear. Should he go to jail for 30 years? No. Have other politicians in the state probably done this? Sure. But if your kid gets in trouble and they say everyone else is doing it, what do you say?

          • Chad Parker

            “Their job was to judge whether he was guilty of crimes that he was indicted”

            Right. So the prosecution presented circumstantial evidence. The defense presented an alternate theory. But the crux of the prosecution’s case was Johnnie’s testimony. The key factor in the defense’s case was McDonnell’s testimony.

            So my comment stands: the case boiled down to Bob’s word against Johnnie’s. The jury saw the
            admitted liar with an additional 10 million reasons to lie again as more
            trustworthy than the former governor. The author is pointing out, from
            personal experience, that the jury was wrong in their analysis of his
            character.

          • Chris B

            Did Johnnie lie? What did he lie about? He said he gave McD those gifts for something in return. Bob said no he didn’t but the evidence – all $170,000 of it – and the jury of his peers found it impossible to believe you can accept $170,000 of swag, then have an event at the Governor’s Mansion for Johnnie’s product and it somehow not be related.

          • Chad Parker

            Let’s forget for a minute about Johnnie’s claims that microwaving a tobacco leaf will create a miracle drug. No one in their right mind believes that.

            On the stand, Johnnie admitted he initially lied to investigators, but that he was now telling the truth. So we can believe the original Johnnie or the immunized Johnnie. If we believe the original, then what he said on the stand was a lie. If we believe the immunized, then he admitted to being a liar. Either way, he has no credibility.

            Again, the prosecution presented circumstantial evidence. The defense
            presented an alternate theory. But the crux of the prosecution’s case
            was Johnnie’s testimony. The key factor in the defense’s case was
            McDonnell’s testimony. So my comment stands: the case boiled down to Bob’s word against Johnnie’s. The jury saw the admitted liar with an additional 10 million reasons to lie again as more trustworthy than the former governor. The author is pointing out, from personal experience, that the jury was wrong in their analysis of his character.

          • mark4java

            It’s really sad the lengths that some Republicans will go to to save their big-govt, big-tax leader. So no one believes that this was a miracle drug….except for the two that got the $175,000? Pretty bad for McDonnell that if the choices were so clear that the jury still chose against him.

  • Tractor Ron

    I believe he never set out to do anything illegal with a conscious mind. However, I think things clearly got away from him and out of hand as a result of several compounding, bad, albeit not necessarily illegal, decisions. Williams should never have been allowed to get near the Governor or the First Lady. And if she was having such a hard time adjusting to her new role, he should have made time to be more attentive and/or gotten her some help. The whole saga is a true tragedy of Shakespearian proportions.

  • mezurak

    Oh Brother! Here we go. Bob is such a nice man. No way Bob can be a crook. I bet there were plenty of Jewish people who said the same thing about Bernie Madoff before he ripped them off. Bob’s ego is what got him convicted. Jonnie provided the means.

    • Donna Martin

      You don’t know Bob McDonnell. He was a good caring person unlike the piece of crap we have in the Governors mansion who sold his soul to the Chinese. People do wrong things and should be punished appropriately. As far as i’m concerned if he should go to prison for what he did then he should be in a cell with the Clintons, McAuliffe, Warner and Kaine. You and your kind only care about Liberal low lifes. You make me sick.

      • mark4java

        Actually he sounds like most conservatives that care about principles and the rule of law instead of the R beside McD’s name. Perhaps if you get past the name-calling one day you too will see that this case was fair and just.

        • http://www.brianschoeneman.org/ Brian W. Schoeneman

          Says the guy who has been name calling all over the place here.

          Give me a break.

        • MD Russ

          I suspect that the Fourth Circuit is going to have a problem with what you consider “fair and Just,” Mark.

      • mezurak

        You know what makes me sick? People who think I’m a Liberal. People who think the way the GOP does politics in Virginia is the way it should be done. People who get all aflutter over their favorite politician and then are aghast when that politician turns into a Royal Pain or jumps ship to ‘win the lottery’. People who clinch their eyes in delusion instead opening them to see what is. Dems don’t hold the market on corrupt politics. An egomaniac Reagan judge didn’t force Bob to wear a Rolex. An egomaniac governor with big head aspirations for national office and an empty wallet did that all on his own.

    • Chad Parker

      Ego? Where do you get that from?

  • Turtles Run

    “Bob McDonnell is no criminal. He never once had a criminal intent for any action he took. And if having a dinner in the Governor’s Mansion is a criminal act, then someone is going to have to prosecute Thomas Jefferson, or at least Dolly Madison.”

    • Lawrence Wood

      You are quite correct but when you blog off of emotion and leave the facts behind you draw those type of silly conclusions. Read the final conviction counts, no mention of statehouse dinners regarding the McDonnell’s or anyone else. A silly red herring.

  • Lawrence Wood

    Perhaps the “Obama made me do it defense” for McDonnell would have been more effective then the “it was really my wife’s fault scenario. This may come as a shock to many people but the vast majority of individuals who commit questionable ethical or outright illegal acts are not professed criminals. Regardless when you willingly engage in this behavior a price in the end will be paid. Most adults, but not all, learn in childhood that bad choices HAVE consequences. McDonnell needs to pay his price like a man and his friends need to cease creating rationalizations and start supporting the McDonnell’s post conviction future.

  • Downstater

    Thanks,
    Brian.

    The
    extensive jail time Bob and Maureen now face for charges that the judge tweaked
    just to “get Bob” are excessive.
    Opinions here are that he should be punished. Well, even with an acquittal his political
    career, marriage, and finances, (made worse by the legal bills from this case),
    would still have been in the toilet. And
    he probably deserved some misdemeanors for failure to disclose some of the
    gifts under state law, and some community service. But this case has been selectively prosecuted
    for political reason.

    The
    system needs to change, but the entire burden of changing politics as usual
    shouldn’t fall on one man.

    • mezurak

      So the judge was out to ‘Get Bob’? How do you figure that?

      • DJRippert

        Downstater is right. The honest services law is a crock. The judge in the McDonnell case gave instructions to the jury that could have been translated as, “Now you people go find the governor and his wife guilty.” Why would the judge do that? Because he’s an egocentric arrogant asshat? That would be my guess. Liberal and conservative justices on the US Supreme Court have criticized the law as overly vague. On June 24, 2010, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in the cases of Black and Skilling that the law against “honest services” fraud is too vague to constitute a crime unless a bribe or kickback was involved. Repeat: unanimously. Think about the justices on that court. They don’t agree on anything. But they agreed that honest services fraud is a crock.

        Should elected officials in Virginia be banned from taking gifts (other than from close family members)? Yes, absolutely. But they aren’t banned from that.

        The McDonnells will appeal. The egomaniac judge will be reversed. His instructions to the jury will be found to be prejudicial.

        • notjohnsmosby

          McDonnell did take bribes. The fact that he tried to say it was his wife taking them instead of him notwithstanding, the jury thought that McDonnell took bribes, and found him guilty of that.

          11 convictions won’t be overturned on appeal. Taliban Bob will have a new roommate next year, and he will surely wish that it was just his crazy diva of a wife instead of another felon.

          • DJRippert

            Kaine took an $18,000 free vacation from a gift giver and then re-appointed the donor to a prestigious state position. Is that a bribe too? The appointment was certainly an “official act”. The only difference between Kaine and McDonnell was that McDonnell took gifts from a slippery eel that the Feds were already watching. Every governor who took money did something in return for the money. Based on Judge Spenser’s instructions to the jury they should all be in jail.

        • http://www.brianschoeneman.org/ Brian W. Schoeneman

          I’m glad that we’re in agreement on this one, Don.

          • mark4java

            Ha ha. Now the Establishment thinks that the “they did it, so what if we did it” defense is going to work. The judge is a well-respected Reagan appointee. Hardly a biased guy w/a vendetta against a politician that doesn’t affect his career at all.

          • http://www.brianschoeneman.org/ Brian W. Schoeneman

            Nobody is saying that. Even good judges get things wrong. This one did.

          • mark4java

            It’s just one big scam. The judge, jury, prosecutors, state police and FBI are all in on it. Only you professional campaigners are smart enough to realize what the rest of us don’t. Perhaps if you hadn’t used the Establishment A-team of lawyers he might have walked.

          • http://www.brianschoeneman.org/ Brian W. Schoeneman

            Right. Make sure the tin foil hat isn’t too tight – you don’t want to chafe.

          • mark4java

            You’re like the used car salesman of politics. Well certainly you and Bolling, Cantor and McDonnell can righten things. Oh that’s right, none of you establishment, big-govt types are in office anymore.

          • http://www.brianschoeneman.org/ Brian W. Schoeneman

            And neither is Cuccinelli, Jackson, West, or many of the folks you guys like.

  • mark4java

    Anyone surprised that the author is a lobbyist? No wonder there’s no mention of the conservative principles of smaller govt, less taxes or ethics in govt that Bob McDonnell turned his back on while in office. He seems like a school girl on a date with the star football player in this article. Bob McDonnell is a criminal and he did more harm to the Republican party than Democrats have in years. Hopefully something positive can come from all of this.

    • BrianKirwin

      I’m not a lobbyist, liar.

    • http://www.brianschoeneman.org/ Brian W. Schoeneman

      You’re getting your Brians confused. Kirwin is the consultant, I’m the lobbyist.

      There’s no mention of the conservative principles that McDonnell turned his back on because he never did that. Only someone with an inch deep understand of Republican political philosophy would say that McDonnell did that.

      Despite what happened here, McDonnell was still the best Governor we’ve had from a policy and results stand point since George Allen.

      • Doug Brown

        Brian,
        You switched from conservative principles to Republican political philosophy . Very different categories. It’s not an inch deep understanding of anything , it’s just a perspective from one faction of the Republican party and you would be better off not belittling it, lest you all hang separately.

        Even though I didn’t agree with the McDonnell transportation steamroller, I think you’re right he attempted to really govern, he was well intentioned, and in more normal times, he would have gone down as a very successful Governor.

        Too bad the Republican Party doesn’t have a clue what they’re up against when the Dems are calling the shots in DC and too bad he didn’t watch Elmer Gantry or didn’t watch it enough when he was young.

        • http://www.brianschoeneman.org/ Brian W. Schoeneman

          It’s not even a perspective. It’s a complete misunderstanding. Nowhere in any of the conservative philosophy I’ve read have all tax increases, for whatever reason, been declared verboten. That’s also not our Republican political philosophy. I am not about to surrender a tool that may be necessary for someone to govern effectively simply because some people have had a steady diet of “no taxes” or “no taxes increases” fed to them over the years by people who have no responsibility to govern.

          • Doug Brown

            I’ve never subscribed to the no new taxes pledge, I’ve never quite understood how one could take that pledge and then take a pledge to an office which requires one to objectively decide whether taxes should be reduced, held steady or raised given an unknown situation – future events during one’s term of office. My objections were that of the just your average Joe – local, state, federal taxes all seemed to be going up at the same time. Meanwhile, I’m seeing a tremendous amount of waste, abuse and corruption across those three jurisdictions.

      • mark4java

        Try to sell that to Southside and Southwestern Va who weren’t the beneficiaries of a sprawling federal govt. Tell that to the Virginians that are paying a historic tax increase for roads that they’ll never see because the increase goes to pay for the typical liberal causes like more education funding and who knows what else instead of transportation. Tell that to the Republican Party which went 0 for 3 following McTax’s term. Bob was great for results alright. If you like big spending and big taxes w/a little corruption piled on.

        • http://www.brianschoeneman.org/ Brian W. Schoeneman

          If any of this were true, you might have an argument. But it’s not.

          • mark4java

            It’s absolutely true. I’m sure you don’t realize it nor care. You Establishment crusaders are only concerned with your own success. The rest are just empty words. One of McTax’s last speeches was to Averett College where he made more empty promises to Southside because they had little to show from what he said he’d do. You guys destroyed our party, violated the law and did nothing that was in the interest of conservative values.

  • Chris B

    I just don’t understand how someone with his legal background in practice and politics did not see this coming? A rich guy who wants his help plies him with thousands of dollars of gifts, loans, and trips. How on EARTH was he so blind?

    • http://www.brianschoeneman.org/ Brian W. Schoeneman

      Because most folks in that situation have gotten used to people trying to ply them with contributions and the like. And given Virginia’s gift laws, he likely felt that as long as there was no quid pro quo, he would be okay. He was wrong.

      • Lawrence Wood

        I may be incorrect but it looked to me from a, granted cursory reading of the count sheets returned by the jury, that the “guilty” conviction counts all were unanimously voted on based on “Intent”. Therefore no specific “favorable official action” or quid pro quo played a role in the actual convictions themselves. I know many believe this is fertile appeal grounds but Federal prosecutors have been successfully using “intent” for many, many years against corruption cases in both parties. It often forms the base of many RICO racketeering cases as well so it has been fairly well tested in the appeal process. I’m not saying it was correctly applied in this case but it is by no means a stray pitch from left field that some are attempting to make it out to be. That the governor of Virginia or any senior elected official would be so naïve as to believe they would in some manner be exempt from these type of Federal statutes is difficult to comprehend or believe. Regardless the GA would be well served to get a no nonsense ethics statute in place immediately or face the possible consequences of the Feds to come knocking on further doors in Richmond.

        • Chad Parker

          I don’t think anyone’s arguing that the law draws no distinction between intending to break the law and actually succeeding.

          The argument is, did Bob McDonnell intend to offer a pro quo in exchange for Johnnie’s quid? His character, as outlined in this article says no. His actions (regularly accepting even larger contributions without performing official acts on the donor’s behalf; providing support for any individual or VA-based business that requests it) say no.

          The verdict was the result of a perfect storm of a poor defense strategy, overly broad jury instructions, and likely one or a few loud jury members with a predetermined guilty verdict.

          • Lawrence Wood

            I am not distinguishing on “intent” simply stating the conviction verdicts came down based on intent. Actions played NO role in conviction so the law and jury instructions did not take into account ANY acts or lack thereof. I realize that may seem unfair but that’s how the counts were structured and that was what the unanimous jury votes were based on. Period.

          • Chad Parker

            And we’re saying that McDonnells character and past actions suggest there was no intent to break the law. The convictions came as a result of a poor defense, poor legal parameters issues by the judge, and unsubstantiated bias against McDonnell, but not because McDonnell is guilty of intending to commit a crime.

          • Lawrence Wood

            You of course have every right to hold your opinions but the judicial process in the form of our constitutional right of trail by jury unanimously disagreed. That’s how the system works. If gross irregularities were committed by any party the Federal appeal system is available again that is how the system works. It works the same way for saints and sinners.

          • Chad Parker

            Ok, but your misunderstanding of Brian’s argument, as demonstrated by your irrelevant, lengthy explanation of intent, still stands.

          • Doug Brown

            So he was guilty of thought crimes?

          • notjohnsmosby

            What Republicans are trying to say is that since McDonnell was unsuccessful on actually getting things done for Star Scientific that he was bribed to do, he hasn’t committed a crime.

            Now, that’s silly, but let’s follow that train of argument. if Tabliban Bob didn’t intend to help Star Scientific, then what did he think the money was for? Grown men don’t tend to shower other grown men with gifts, especially large ones like wedding receptions and such. So, what was the reason for the money and gifts?

            I have a lot of wealthy friends, and they don’t buy Rolex watches for the other guys.

          • Doug Brown

            If you are proposing to throw all politicians into jail for taking money and doing nothing, I’ll concede your point , grab the remote, a beer, a spot on the couch, sit back and actually enjoy watching cable news’ mindless reruns of the same news stories over and over.

          • notjohnsmosby

            These weren’t campaign contributions. That’s the difference. You can write a check to Bill Howell’s campaign for a million dollars with a wink and a promise that he’ll move legislation for you. As long as it’s reported, it’s legal. It might not be right, but it’s legal.

            A sitting governor accepted cash and gifts to himself and family members. There’s no campaign, no reporting. That makes it not right AND illegal.

          • Doug Brown

            Politicians are almost all in perpetual campaign mode now, when you talk to them they almost all have the same look in their eyes, when I bartended I use to have to take car keys away from such people.

          • notjohnsmosby

            If Williams, as a private citizen, wanted to donate to Taliban Bob’s PAC, he could have. He didn’t.

          • Doug Brown

            Given Virginia’s laws this should not have been a high priority prosecution for the DOJ, that they chose it to be, given what else was in front them, tells me they made a political decision based on a fabulously rich target of an opportunity. If Republicans had a Brain among them they would have made this prosecution part of the 2013 campaign, the Democrats love to turn everything into a circus and for some reasons the Republicans always allow themselves to be dressed up as the clowns, Republicans need to embrace the modern day arena of the political circus, but make the other side the clowns, gee the last Democratic candidate for Governor even showed up with own little green car. Do you realize how many Democrats could have fit into that car.

          • notjohnsmosby

            Bob McDonnell broke Federal laws, which is why he was prosecuted by Federal prosecutors in a Federal court, where he was found guilty 11 times. Virginia laws, or lack of them, have zero bearing on this case.

          • DJRippert

            Alternative – Bob McDonnell fell under a vague statute that has been endlessly criticized by Republicans and Democrats alike. The statute is like the Commerce Clause – it has been co-opted by the Federal government in an effort to thwart the original intent of the Constitution by providing the Federal government powers it was never intended to posses.

            Are you following me so far?

            Now, Bobby was just unlucky enough to consort with an ultimate scumbag who was so foul that he was part and parcel of a Federal investigation long before Bob or Maureen ever knew. The Feds, being seekers of everything except justice, indicted McDonnell. They fully knew that previous governors had done the same things. But they now had a scumbag willing to flip. That was the beginning, middle and end of the difference between McDonnell and Kaine. Both would have been convicted based on Judge Spencer’s instructions. However, one ducked responsibility by avoiding scumbags and the other did not. Pick you bribers carefully I guess.

          • notjohnsmosby

            So, which previous governors accepted jewelry from busniessmen? Which ones sent their wives out to help woo the businessmen to give bribes? Which ones had their daughter’s weddings partially paid for by businessmen?

          • DJRippert

            “A sitting governor accepted cash and gifts to himself and family members. There’s no campaign, no reporting. That makes it not right AND illegal.”

            Are you referring to McDonnell, Kaine, Warner or any of the other governors who proceeded them?

          • notjohnsmosby

            Specifically, the one who just got convicted on 11 counts. If Warner and Kaine broke the law and not investigated, I guess you need to blame the Bush Administration for not pursuing charges.

          • DJRippert

            The law is so vague that you can’t know whether it’s been broken until you hear the instructions to the jury by the presiding judge. In my opinion, that level of vagueness creates routinely unconstitutional verdicts. As the judge instructed the jury in the McDonnell trial I believe that both Kaine and Warner would have been convicted too. Three things happened to sink McDonnell:

            1. The media got understandably frothy over Williams based on Cuccinelli. This drew attention to the matter where prior gifts for official acts didn’t draw attention.
            2. Jonnie Williams was in enough hot water to take an immunity deal. This raised the prosecution’s odds of success.
            3. The judge gave the jury instructions that basically said, “Just go find them guilty”. This was the error that will see all 11 convictions sent back for retrial.

          • Lawrence Wood

            Don’t think I every said or implied any such thing if you have a problem its not with me I didn’t write the Federal statutes or Brain’s service clause definition or the application of intent used to convict. If you don’t like my facts that’s Ok but don’t make ones up as straw men to poke at or support whatever your position is. Frankly if this wasn’t a tragic situation for the McDonnell family this stream of comments would have been almost an education in the misapplied application of casuistry.

          • Doug Brown

            Who is making up facts? I just asked you a question. Please don’t attempt to throw everyone else’s comments into my stream of consciousness.
            It is a tragic situation, but it’s not limited to McDonnell’s fate , what tragic is the state of the American judicial process.

          • DJRippert

            U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has criticized the statute, stating that the clause was so poorly defined that it could be the basis for prosecuting “a mayor for using the prestige of his office to get a table at a restaurant without a reservation.”

        • http://www.brianschoeneman.org/ Brian W. Schoeneman

          That’s the problem, Lawrence. Absent some kind of actual quid pro quo, I think it’s more than a stretch to say that the Governor was somehow depriving anybody of his honest services by taking a bunch of gifts showered upon him by a guy who got nothing in return.

          Since no Governor in Virginia had ever been charged or prosecuted under this law before, and since Bob knew he hadn’t actually given Williams anything of value, I can understand why he didn’t believe he broke any laws, federal or otherwise.

          Like I’ve said for a while, I think the honest service fraud statute has been stretched to absurdity and I hope the Appeals court tries to put some reason back into it.

  • Chad Parker

    Not to play to the conspiracy theories, but a question no one seems to care about: where is Neil MacBride and why did he leave the US Attorney’s Office not long before the decision was made to seek an indictment against McDonnell?

    Also, regarding juror making the media rounds: what’s the over/under on her trying to get a book deal? Smart money says she got the pro-McDonnell juror ousted.

  • John Ub

    There are many people that will tell you that John Gotti was a nice guy and a good family man. I have no doubt that Bob was a good guy. He made some bad financial decisions and decided to hide the fact that he received a lot of money from one person. He also received gifts from the same person which he failed to disclose. The post would read much better if you removed the third from last paragraph – the one that starts “Obama’s pitbulls”.

    • DJRippert

      I don’t respect the job Obama has done as president and I don’t respect the job Eric Holder has done as Attorney General. However, they have prosecuted plenty of Democratic politicians for corruption. They were watching Jonnie Williams when the McDonnells entered the scene with Williams. They flipped Williams and that was that. McDonnell is guilty of having very bad taste in gift donors.

      • Doug Brown

        They are just as likely to use the judicial process to go after bothersome Democrats as they are Republicans.

        • JBluen

          I didn’t see your comment until after I posted mine, but that’s been my observation as well. The Obama Machine is all about disciplining its membership.

          • Doug Brown

            Precisely, and to make such an assertion you don’t have to turn to a conspiracy mindset, it is simply based on a basic understanding of the mechanics of how local political machines are run.

          • JBluen

            Good point, especially the Chicago machine.

          • Doug Brown

            http://www.thechicagosyndicate.com/2014/09/anshoo-sethi-allegedly-exploited-us.html
            EB-5 visas hmm? Watch the clean-up on this one. Probably a decent movie script in here somewhere,

      • Donna Martin

        I did not know that DJ. What Democratic politicians did they prosecute for corruptions?

        • Chris B

          Ray Nagin, Rod Blagoyovich, Jesse Jackson Jr, Thomas Porteous

          • JBluen

            Not to be too much of a conspiracy theorist, but Obama has always been willing to attack fellow Democrats to get what he wants, including his seat in the Illinois Senate. Perhaps these guys were found guilty of aggravated not playing ball under the pretext of corruption charges.

          • Chris B

            or, perhaps, they committed crimes and were prosecuted under the law for said crimes by the federal government and Obama had more important things to think about? Not everything is a conspiracy, and this is coming from a guy with Ron Paul as his avatar.

          • DJRippert

            Could be. Politics has always been dirty. You just can’t reasonably accuse Obama of only targeting Republicans.

          • JBluen

            Nor did I.

        • DJRippert

          See Chris B’s comment below.

  • Wally Erb

    This is a true tragedy. In the beginning, the Bob McDonnell I once new was I man of
    honesty, high moral values and personal ethics. Unfortunately, as time
    progressed in a political life, his personal ethics took a back seat to
    legalese. When one solely relies on an interpretation of what is legal
    is also ethical, they put themselves in a position of interpretive
    error. So it is with McDonnell. Now his big challenge is to admit to
    himself, and no one else, that he was guilty of wrong doing by his own
    device and forgive himself.

    • Chad Parker

      “Unfortunately, as time progressed in a political life, his personal ethics took a back seat to legalese.” That’s a pretty broad attack on the man’s character. Care to give any examples?

      • Wally Erb

        You MUST be kidding. How about 11 felony counts? He was convinced that he was within the law; but he was wrong. Importantly, “within the law”, not his previously held ethical behavior. Further, it was of his own doing, not Eve and forbidden fruit, not democrats, not Obama. not Holder, not Justice, nor all the numerous, ridiculous rationalizations. It was him and him alone that bears the burden of responsibility and penalties. That my friend is the tragedy. What once was, is not only is. Like a fallen angel, his halo has faded.

        • notjohnsmosby

          Exactly. Getting tried and convicted by a jury of your peers on 11 felonies, including public corruption, are excellent examples of unethical behavior.

          McDonnell didn’t think he was committing crimes, but he was, and has been found guilty. He’s a criminal, plain and simple. He’s going to jail, as is his wife.

          • Chad Parker

            “McDonnell didn’t think he was committing crimes”

            So you agree there was no criminal intent?

          • notjohnsmosby

            There was at least $170 grand of criminal intent. He was clearly committing a crime, he simply didn’t think to take bribes was one. A lot of criminals don’t believe they did anything wrong. Prisons are full of them.

          • Chad Parker

            $170 grand of circumstantial evidence, which requires a narrative to convict. The prosecution claimed that there was a quid pro quo that didn’t fully materialize and McDonnell knew about it.

            The defense said McDonnell didn’t know about it.

            Now you’re saying that McDonnell knew about it, but didn’t know it was a crime? I’m interested to know how you came to that conclusion, given that no one involved in the case made that claim.

          • notjohnsmosby

            Then what was the money for? Was Williams just being charitable? Was Taliban Bob pimping out his wife? Was Williams trying to bang McDonnell instead? Were they already in a homosexual relationship and the money was to keep Taliban Bob happy in the relationship?

            Other than bribing the governor to help Star, no Republican has come up with a plausible alternate reason for the “gifts”. It’s all “that’s ok in Virginia, Bob’s a nice guy, he didn’t mean anything by it.” I don’t care who you are, if you give $170 grand to someone, you’re either getting or expecting to get something in return. If you accept $170 grand, then you are either giving or expecting to give something back in return.

          • Downstater

            Mosby, (or not), what is your reaction when Democrats commit graft? I could name a number or them, including Rob. Blogo, the guy from Louisiana, Ray Nagan, etc.

          • notjohnsmosby

            The same reaction I have to Taliban Bob. He got caught, he got tried, he got convicted. Kwame Kilpatrick, the mayor out in San Diego, the Prince Georges County Executive, etc.

        • Chad Parker

          “Unfortunately, as time progressed in a political life, his personal ethics took a back seat to
          legalese.”

          “He was convinced that he was within the law; but he was wrong.”

          You see the contradiction in your own statements, right?

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  • Chris B
  • ContrarianView

    The prosecution of the McDonnells is as corrupt and malicious a piece of lawfare as the indictments of Tom Delay and Rick Perry. The incident was timed to smear the GOP right before the midterm elections. I believe it was cooked up at the highest levels of the DOJ, probably with Oval Office involvement. I sincerely hope that this verdict will be overturned on appeal before year-end, for the good legal reasons that others have given in this thread.

    Other good grounds for reversing this decision include the fact that the federal government is unconstitutionally invading state jurisdiction with their application of their law to an intra-state matter, and that the law itself is so vague as to be unconstitutional on its face. This case is not like the Mike Espy and William Jefferson cases – they were federal officials, and their corruption extended to real bribery. Nobody can say in what way McDonnell “deprived” Virginia of his services.

    The defense strategy was so stupid as to be grounds for malpractice. Had they stood their ground on the merits, rather than turn it into a soap opera, they would not have given the prosecution or the jury the grounds to play to emotions. It is a shame that our society is so dumbed-down and maudlin that we can’t find twelve citizens who can apply facts and law in an objective way.

    But I believe that Gov. McDonnell showed terrible judgment in seeking money and other valuable gifts from Williams. He looks like a small man trying to live beyond his means by compromising his ethics. Better he should have lived more simply on his own two feet, as Harry Truman did, than to create such awful appearances of being compromised, even if he was not compromised. And as the top Republican in the state, he showed terrible disregard for the people, including Mr. Kirwin, who put him in office.

    McDonnell committed no crime, but I believe he deserves the tarnish he wears from neglecting to care for his reputation.

    • Downstater

      Fine, he deserves not to ever be elected to office again. I would not
      vote for him again based on his bad judgement and apparent issues with
      his wife not really wanting public life. But years in jail? This is
      not fair. How many politicians across the country would be in jail if
      the same standards were applied? Hundreds…. including the Clintons, who
      sold out the Lincoln and reportedly hauled loot out of the White House.

      VA is becoming a key state, and this probably played a role in
      the Holder justice dept. making Bob the whipping boy. I agree with

      ContrarianView

      , but would add that the root of this was the McDonnells overspending,
      credit card debt, and over extension in the real estate speculation
      game, which ended badly.

      I don’t know what they are going to do
      now. They can’t really reverse their original broken marriage claims
      on appeal. They can’t really use the “everyone else was doing it”
      defense. The level of political vengeance to punish political enemies
      coming force from the Obama/Holder administration as it tries to deflect
      blame for its own failures is Unprecedented.

  • Independence1

    I do not know Bob McDonnell. I do know he was a very good Governor. I will be sad if he goes to prison in the same way I feel when an 18 year old kid goes to prison for hanging out with some friends that decide to commit a murder. He gets 20 years, but no one cares. It happens all the time.

    No one died here. The point is good people go to prison every day for many years. Just something to think about.

  • Rick_Sincere

    Brian writes: “there are three more Virginia Governors waiting for their cuffs for similar actions.”

    I count 10 living Virginia governors, including McDonnell. Who are the six you’re excluding from the possibility of prosecution for similar actions? It seems to me all ten could be (or could have been) targeted with similar charges.

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