Recapping Virginia’s McDonnell Corruption Trial

Jury deliberations got under way today in the case of The United States of America vs. Robert F. McDonnell and Maureen G. McDonnell—the first couple of the Commonwealth of Virginia until January of this year—now in the dock charged with trading the power of the Governor’s office for $177,000 in luxury gifts and loans. One political science professor who’s attended the trial every day says, “They had been the most publicly affectionate first couple I’d seen in 30 years.” Now their defense against federal corruption charges depends on persuading a jury of 7 men and 5 women that their marriage was so dysfunctional they could not possibly have conspired to violate the public trust. Larry Sabato is Director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.