Robert F. McDonnell, Petitioner
Noel J. Francisco, Counsel of Record
Robert F. McDonnell was elected the seventy-first governor of Virginia on November 3, 2009. Ten days after completing his term, on January 21, 2014, a Federal grand jury charged him with honest-services fraud, Hobbs Act extortion, and conspiracy to commit these offenses. The Government alleged that, as governor, he had aided Jonnie Williams, CEO of the dietary supplement company Star Scientific, in obtaining State research studies for his products and other insider benefits in exchange for gifts, low-interest loans, and trips. McDonnell was convicted on September 4, 2014, and later sentenced to two years in prison. He appealed his conviction,…
