Federal prosecutors continue to conduct witness interviews and review evidence in the probe of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s (R) relationship with a Virginia businessman and political donor, but the case is unlikely to be resolved before the state’s election in November, according to The Washington Post.
The Post reported on Saturday that prosecutors have yet to schedule an important meeting with attorneys for McDonnell and his wife, Maureen McDonnell, where the evidence against the couple would be laid out. Also, if prosecutors do indicate to the McDonnells’ attorneys that they plan to seek an indictment, the governor could ask to appeal that decision to Justice Department officials in Washington, D.C. And that process would take time.
Here’s the latest, from the Post:
…four people familiar with the investigation said the process has slowed in recent weeks.
They indicated that prosecutors had a window to bring charges in late August. But in a confrontational meeting, the governor’s attorneys displayed little appetite for possible plea negotiations and instead appeared prepared to fight any possible charges.
In separate meetings, attorneys for the governor and his wife also mapped out a defense strategy in which they argued that McDonnell was not aware of all the gifts his wife had accepted from Williams. Therefore, the governor could not be accused of improperly taking steps to help Williams’s company in exchange for those items, they said.
Those assertions prompted prosecutors to take a step back and review their evidence again, the people said.
