Feds: Clear cut bribery case against McDonnell

[DonViejo]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say their case against former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is a clear-cut example of political corruption by any reasonable definition.

Prosecutors filed a motion in federal court Thursday asking a judge to deny requests by McDonnell’s lawyers to dismiss most of the charges.

McDonnell and his wife are charged with accepting more than $165,000 in gifts and loans from Jonnie Williams, the former CEO of dietary supplements maker Star Scientific Inc., in exchange for helping promote his products. The former Republican governor’s lawyers have argued that McDonnell extended only routine political courtesies to Williams and did not take any official acts to help him.

Prosecutors argue in their recent filings that McDonnell’s actions were official, and he engaged in a clearly defined quid pro quo bribery scheme.

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Read more: http://www.salon.com/2014/04/25/feds_clear_cut_bribery_case_against_mcdonnell/

[closeupready]

1. How long before "money is speech" defenses become routine?

Serious question.

[yallerdawg]

2. Don Siegelman of Alabama

We always wonder why the DoJ, Obama and appeals courts have let this political prosecution of Gov. Siegelman stay in place.

Could it be the Democrats are saying "So, you wanna go there?"

The republican'ts are soon gonna have all this flying back in their face, and right before the mid-terms. Prosecutions of republican'ts are all over the US as the pendulum swings back.

The idea that a citizen supporting a candidate or a cause that wins makes you culpable for bribery or "quid pro quo" if you as a now elected official support that cause or constituent? So, if you donated to my campaign or supported that issue I campaigned on, you are no longer eligible to associate with me, work in my administration on that cause, or give any more money in support of myself or the cause? You can't even be my friend anymore?

This may be exactly so.

Politicians should be above suspicion. Quid pro quo, bribery and political patronage should be clearly defined in light of these "new" prosecutorial standards.

[SallyAnn]

3. Correct

I agree the politicians should be above suspicion, but they pass laws that don't affect them. Until the whole culture of corruption of all politicians is cleaned up, I see little chance in anything ever being done, except for an occasional prosecution of one of them.