Rosalind S. Helderman and Matt Zapotosky, Washington Post
Posted: Friday, September 5, 2014, 1:08 AM
After three days of deliberations, the seven men and five women who heard weeks of gripping testimony about the McDonnells' alleged misdeeds unanimously found that the couple conspired to lend the prestige of the governor's office to Jonnie Williams Sr. in a nefarious exchange for his largesse.
The verdict means that Robert McDonnell, the first governor in Virginia history to be charged with a crime, now holds an even more unwanted distinction - the first to be convicted of one.
He and his wife could face decades in federal prison, although their actual sentences will likely fall well short of that. U.S. District Judge James Spencer set a sentencing hearing for Jan. 6.
The former governor, a onetime Republican rising star considered for the 2012 vice presidential nomination, was convicted of all 11 corruption-related counts brought against him. In a small victory, he was acquitted of lying on loan documents.
The former first lady was convicted of eight corruption-related charges and an additional count of obstruction of justice. She, too, was acquitted of falsifying a bank record.
The verdict was read aloud in front of a packed courtroom. When the clerk announced that the former governor had been found guilty of the first of 14 counts the couple faced, Robert McDonnell, 60, closed his eyes tightly, shaking in his seat as he began to weep.
Maureen McDonnell, 60, also started to cry. At the eighth guilty count, her husband buried his face in his hands. By the end, he was slumped in his chair, still crying. Two of the couple's daughters, seated behind them, sobbed - the cries from one punctuating each guilty verdict as it was read aloud.
It was a stunning outcome for the couple, all the more so because in December, McDonnell declined to accept a plea deal in which he would have been found guilty of just one felony count of lying on a loan document, according to people familiar with the case. Maureen McDonnell would have faced no charges.
The jury's verdict brings to a close a trial that seemed to grip the nation since it began in July with defense attorneys' shocking revelation that the McDonnells' marriage was shattered, and that would be a core element of their attempt to beat the charges.
The proceedings resembled a soap opera at times, as the McDonnells endured a humiliating dissection of their relationship amid unflattering allegations about the lavish lifestyle supplied by Williams.
As the former first couple emerged from the courthouse, reporters swarmed, shouting questions. Robert McDonnell thanked the crush of media on the sidewalk for "the way you've handled this."
"All I can say is my trust remains in the Lord," he said.
Defense attorney Henry "Hank" Asbill, saying he "didn't expect" this outcome, assured reporters that the former governor would appeal. "I'm obviously very disappointed," he said.
William Burck, an attorney for Maureen McDonnell, said the former first lady, too, would appeal.
The McDonnells, who have been living apart since the trial began, left in separate cars. A few women could be heard shouting "We still love you" at the former governor.
Shortly before that, top law enforcement officials declared justice had been done.
"This was just a difficult and disappointing day for the commonwealth and its citizens," said U.S. Attorney Dana Boente, speaking outside the courthouse. "Public service frequently requires sacrifice and almost always requires financial sacrifice. When public officials turn to financial gain in exchange for official acts, we have little choice but to prosecute the case."
Three jurors who spoke about the verdict said the decision was an emotional one, particularly considering Robert McDonnell's long career of public service.
Jurors heard from 67 witnesses, including Williams and the former governor, who took the stand in his own defense for nearly 24 hours over several days. They saw memorable photos of McDonnell flashing a Rolex watch and riding in a Ferrari, and they heard sometimes-tearful testimony from the governor's children and former staffers.
They were shown mortgage applications, phone records, more charts than they probably care to remember - all designed to convince them that the governor and his wife conspired to take bribes from Williams.
The case had more nuanced, legal questions, too: Namely, did the McDonnells perform or promise to perform "official acts" for Williams in exchange for $177,000 in gifts and loans? Prosecutors argued that they did.
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