"Former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, have both been indicted on federal corruption charges related to their acceptance of more than $160,000 in gifts from the CEO of Star Scientific, a Virginia dietary supplement manufacturer.
U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente delivered the 43-page indictment in Richmond on Monday afternoon, ending months of speculation about the extent and seriousness of the McDonnells’ ties to Star Scientific’s former CEO, Jonnie Williams, Sr. McDonnell, whose term as governor ended in early January, admitted in July 2013 that Williams provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts and loans to him and his wife, but denied he used his power as governor to favor Williams’s company.
The couple’s attorney responded to the indictment charges with a statement attributed to the former governor:
I repeat emphatically that I did nothing illegal for Mr. Williams in exchange for what I believed was his personal generosity and friendship. I never promised – and Mr. Williams and his company never received – any government benefit of any kind from me or my Administration. "
