Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell waves to the assembly after delivering his State of the Commonwealth address before a joint session of the 2014 General Assembly at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
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WASHINGTON (AP) — A unanimous Supreme Court has overturned the corruption conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell in a ruling that makes it harder to prosecute elected officials accused of bribery.
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. (AP photo)
The justices ruled Monday in favor of McDonnell, who was found guilty in 2014 of accepting more than $165,000 in gifts and loans from a wealthy businessman in exchange for promoting a dietary supplement.
The former governor says he never took any official action to benefit Star Scientific Inc. CEO Jonnie Williams or pressured other public officials to do so. McDonnell says he simply performed routine courtesies for Williams like setting up meetings and hosting events.
Prosecutors said McDonnell accepted personal benefits with the understanding he would try to take official action to help Williams.
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