The U.S. probation office recommends that former
Virginia governor Robert McDonnell spend at least ten years in prison
for the eleven counts of corruption he was found guilty of committing. The probation office calculated a recommended sentence of between ten and thirteen years
in prison for the disgraced public official. U.S. District Judge James
R. Spencer is not required to issue a sentence within the guidelines. He
can exercise discretion to decrease or increase the penalty. However,
legal analysts have pointed out that Spencer has typically given sentences that fall within the guidelines suggested by the U.S. probation office.
About a year ago, McDonnell turned down an offer to
take a plea agreement that would have cost him no more than three years
behind bars. He could have pled guilty to a single count of lying to a
bank and escaped with probation or a much shorter prison term. However,
McDonnell rejected that deal. Now having been convicted of eleven
separate charges, he could spend over a decade in prison for his crimes.
The ex-Governor is scheduled to be sentenced
on January 6th of next year. His wife will have her sentence handed
down on February 20th. McDonnell was once viewed as a rising star within
the repugican cabal. His name was floated as a potential running mate
for Mitt Romney in 2012, and at one time, he was listed as a potential
future presidential candidate for the repugican cabal. As Governor of a large swing
state, repugican agitators expected him to have a favorable resume for
winning a national election. However, that was before his star power
unraveled in the face of serious corruption charges. Now Robert
McDonnell can look forward to spending time in prison. If the judge
follows the sentencing recommendations, McDonnell may spend the next
decade behind bars.
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