Political Cartoons

A federal jury found McDonnell guilty of 11 counts of public corruption related to his relationship with businessman Jonnie Williams Sr., who lavished the governor and his family with almost $180,000 in gifts, from watches to shopping sprees to straight cash. He is the first Virginia governor ever convicted of a crime.

The five-week trial that preceded McDonnell’s conviction — his wife, Maureen, was convicted on eight corruption counts — depicted a personal and professional life that had spiraled out of control. The McDonnell marriage was supposedly in bad shape. Maureen McDonnell, according to her own lawyers, had a “crush” on Williams. Awkward. Bob McDonnell, during his time on the stand, cast his wife as insufficiently supportive of his political career and riddled with insecurities. If their marriage wasn’t over before the trial, it sure as heck is now. A parade of witnesses said the McDonnells were willfully unaware of the trouble they were getting themselves into.

Sutherland depicted Maureen McDonnell as so undone by her privileged surroundings and financial limitations that the first lady grabbed at gifts, raged at staff, and even falsely accused the Executive Mansion chef of trying to ruin her Christmas by serving 'bad shrimp.'

What was even more stunning was the fact that McDonnell could have avoided humiliation, not to mention the near-certain prison time he and his wife now face. He was offered, and he rejected, a plea deal proposed by federal prosecutors that would have had him plead guilty to a single count and allowed his wife to escape any charges. So McDonnell proved he wasn’t just corrupt but also inept.