Supreme Court May Raise Bar for Corruption Prosecutions
- Justices look poised to overturn former governor's conviction
- Virginia's McDonnell attends as justices weigh his case
Former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell arrives at U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia for his corruption trial sentencing on Jan. 6, 2015, in Richmond, Virginia.
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U.S. Supreme Court justices suggested they will overturn former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s bribery conviction and make it harder to prosecute public officials for corruption.
Hearing the last argument of their 2015-16 term Wednesday, justices from across the ideological spectrum cast doubt on the conviction. The case stems from more than $175,000 in cash and gifts McDonnell and his wife received from businessman Jonnie Williams, who was trying to get a state university to conduct important clinical tests on a dietary supplement.