United States of America, Respondent
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr., U.S. Solicitor General
On January 21, 2014, a Federal grand jury indicted Robert F. McDonnell, who 10 days earlier had completed a four-year term as governor of Virginia, on Federal bribery charges. The government alleged that as governor he had granted insider access to the Jonnie Williams, CEO of the dietary supplement company Star Scientific, 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, arguing that the Government interpreted the Federal corruption laws too broadly and that he never engaged in an “official act” in…
