Virginia Ex-Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison for public corruption.
A jury found McDonnell guilty on 11 counts of corruption in early September. Prosecutors had recommended that U.S. District Judge James Spencer sentence the former governor to at least 10 years in prison.
But the Washington Post reported that on Tuesday, Spencer revised that recommendation down to a maximum of eight years because he agreed with the defense that McDonnell did not obstruct justice and that the value of the bribes he accepted did not total more than $121,000.
McDonnell’s defense called more than 10 character witnesses to try to persuade Spencer to go easy on the former governor. Virginia House Speaker William J. Howell (R) testified that state ethics laws strengthened in the wake of the McDonnell gifts scandal were enough to discourage officials who might break the law, according to the Post. Representatives of two religious organizations, Operation Blessing International and the Catholic diocese of Southwest Virginia, also spelled out how working for charity would be a more constructive punishment than jail time.
One member of McDonnell’s family made a more personal appeal to the judge. The Post reported that his sister, Nancy McDonnell Naisawald, described the former governor as the “go-to parent” in his family — leaving her sister-in-law Maureen conspicuously unmentioned.
Defense attorney Henry Asbill told Judge Spencer that between 600 and 650 people in all offered their support for McDonnell, according to the newspaper. But when it came time for McDonnell to speak for himself, he asked Spencer to first show mercy to his wife, who made an unexpected appearance at the federal courthouse Tuesday. Her separate sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 20.
Bob McDonnell was ordered to report to prison by Feb. 9, but could reduce his two-year sentence with good behavior, according to the Post.
This post has been updated.
