RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Lawyers for the wife of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell are telling jurors in her corruption trial that her interactions with a businessman who showered her with gifts may have been “tacky” but they are not illegal.
Jurors heard closing arguments Friday. Bob and Maureen McDonnell are accused of taking more than $165,000 in loans and gifts from former Star Scientific Inc. CEO Jonnie Williams in exchange for using the governor’s office to tout a tobacco-based health supplement, Anatabloc.
Maureen McDonnell’s lawyer, William Burck, argued the former first lady couldn’t have carried out any official acts to help Williams because she was not a public official. He said the McDonnells’ broken marriage showed she was operating independently of her husband in her dealings with Williams.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
