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Cover Story 4 Things to Watch In the Courtroom
Trial and Tribulation
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He is the prosecution’s star witness, but Williams has never spoken publicly about the case. Friends say Williams is brash, boastful and charming, but is he believable? For a conviction, prosecutors will need to show that he and Bob McDonnell entered into a quid pro quo agreement.
McDonnells’ marriage, character to go under the microscope Richmond
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Can prosecutors persuade jurors this was more than politics as usual? To get elected, politicians
DANA VERKOUTEREN (AP)
The star witness is a flashy dietary supplement executive who boasted of a friendship with Lindsay Lohan. A manicurist, a party planner and former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli also could take the stand. In their much-anticipated federal corruption trial that began Monday, former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, will seek to restore their honor. But over the course of the trial, expected to last five weeks, the McDonnells also will submit to a potentially humiliating spectacle that will showcase their frayed marriage and personal relationships. “It’s going to be ugly,” said Douglas Wilder, another former governor. “The more you read, the more sleaze develops.” McDonnell, 60, a Republican who until January held the same office once occupied by Thomas Jefferson, is the first Virginia governor to be charged with a crime. Together, he and his wife are fighting 14 criminal charges of public corruption and lying on financial documents. Prosecutors have charged that in exchange for private plane rides, expensive apparel and $120,000 in loans, the couple helped promote Jonnie Williams Sr.’s dietary supplement company. Prosecutors will allege that McDonnell, a popular politician who had served 22 years in public life, led
What’s Jonnie Williams’ story?
Monday’s Developments: The long-awaited public corruption trial kicked off with lawyers for both sides trying to pick the 12 Virginians they believe are best suited to decide the governor’s fate. In the five weeks of proceedings expected to follow, there might not be a more important moment, experts say. (T WP) a double life. They will say that even as he held a reputation as a squeaky clean and earnest public servant, he was secretly plotting with his wife to exchange state favors with Williams. McDonnell’s attorneys will counter that he never promised to help Williams’ company and that the garish executive is now lying about dealings with the governor. Even touchier, court filings show that McDonnell’s attorneys are preparing to argue that the governor was essentially a victim of his wife, who they will say at times accepted gifts without her husband knowing.
The case will come down to whether prosecutors can convince jurors that the McDonnells actually lent Williams the power of the governor’s office as part of a corrupt bargain. McDonnell’s supporters had once hoped he might be spending this time preparing for a presidential run in 2016. Instead, friends say the McDonnells’ lives have largely been on hold since they were indicted 10 days after he left office. Even their final days in office were marred by the kind of contrasts that the federal case has revealed.
McDonnell was consumed with completing his budget, highlighting his administration’s accomplishments and girding for the indictment. Maureen McDonnell was pressing to enjoy the final perks of office. According to several state employees, she pushed to stay at the Executive Mansion as long as possible, even asking for access to the home after her husband ceded office on Jan. 11. She reasoned that he was elected to a four-year term and hadn’t taken office until Jan. 16, 2010. ROSALIND S. HELDERMAN AND MATT ZAPOTOSKY (THE WASHINGTON POST)
have to ask people for money. It may be icky, but it happens all the time. To win a conviction, prosecutors will have to persuade jurors that what happened between McDonnell and Williams went beyond standard political glad-handing.
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What was Maureen McDonnell up to, and how much did Bob know? One core of McDonnell’s defense has been clear: He’ll say this whole thing was his wife’s fault. His lawyers have repeatedly noted that many of the most potentially damning accusations are leveled at the former first lady rather than her husband.
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Were the McDonnells financially strapped?
The indictment includes hints of a possible motive: They were struggling with cash. According to the indictment, Maureen McDonnell emailed one of her husband’s staffers to complain that they had an “unconscionable amount in credit card debt.” But McDonnell’s lawyers have said the couple’s finances were “fundamentally sound.” (TWP)
The Key Players Jonnie Williams Sr. A salesman whose business ventures have often been surrounded by controversy, Williams’ relationships with the McDonnells — and his credibility on the stand — will likely define the trial.
Mary Shea Sutherland Maureen McDonnell’s former chief of staff, Sutherland has drawn special attention from defense attorneys, who claim she was helping Williams as she pursued her own interest in getting a new job.
Todd Schneider The former governor’s mansion chef was fired amid an investigation of alleged improprieties in the kitchen. He provided information that helped fuel the case. However, he might not testify at the trial.
James Spencer This will be the senior U.S. district judge’s biggest case in his 28 years on the bench. He has mostly ruled against the McDonnells on pretrial matters, notably rejecting their request for separate trials.