Convicted Virginia ex-governor asks to stay free pending high court appeal

Prosecutors on Friday urged a federal appeals court to require former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell to report to prison while he appeals his public corruption convictions to the U.S. Supreme Court. The only remaining route to appeal for McDonnell is the U.S. Supreme Court.

Williams gave Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen $177,000 in gifts and loans.

Maureen McDonnell faces 12 months and one day in prison on her federal corruption charge. The convicted governor once considered a viable Republican presidential candidate now has the option to appeal at a Supreme Court level. The full 15-member court said Tuesday that it won’t reconsider that panel’s ruling.

GOODMAN: “It is not at all unusual, in this particular case, since he has had two versions of the lower courts: the trial court and the court of appeals, rule against him, it is less and less likely that he will be successful in the supreme court, but there is still a chance”.

Former Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-Va.) hopes to stay free while he appeals his conviction of public corruption. He can still appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

They also said defense attorneys had mischaracterized or misapplied other cases to create an illusion that McDonnell’s case stood counter to other decisions in other federal courts. CEO Jonnie Williams showered the McDonnells with lavish gifts — including a Rolex watch for the governor, about $20,000 in designer clothing for the first lady and $15,000 to pay for catering at a daughter’s wedding — while the executive sought state university research on his company’s signature product.

Williams resigned from Star Scientific amid the scandal, and later testified against the McDonnells.

The former governor has insisted that he provided nothing more than routine political courtesies and access to Williams and that he was convicted under an overly broad definition of bribery.