The press has helped the McDonnell’s defense in the former governor’s criminal trial but reporting on every salacious tidbit that comes out. We have heard about school board crushes, meetings, shopping trips, Ferrari’s and doomed marriages that have lost their luster. We have watched as the McDonnell couple has gone from hand holding to arriving separately. A year ago the couple appeared united as illustrated by the hand holding. Now Maureen McDonnell arrives with her daughter, with pursed lips.
Sadly, McDonnell appears to be allowing the press to slut-shame his wife for her greed and apparent attachment to rich-boy Jonnie Williams. Williams took the stand yesterday. His testimony was given in exchange for immunity from prosecution. He indicated under oath that his relationship with the first couple was business in nature, not one of friendship. According to the Richmond Times Dispatch:
Williams said that in December 2009 he met the McDonnells at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York, where he offered to help Maureen get an Oscar de la Renta dress. Williams said Maureen told her husband: “This is great. Jonnie’s going to help me get a dress for the inauguration.”
However, Williams said he later got a call from a lawyer in the governor’s office thanking him for the offer but that he could not buy her the dress.
“She wasn’t happy about it. She was disappointed,” he said of Maureen. She said she would take “a rain check,” he said.
Williams said that in October 2010, the McDonnells asked if they could use his jet to fly to California and he agreed. He took a commercial flight to intercept them so he could fly back with McDonnell.
Asked why, Williams said, “I figured that would give me five to six hours with the governor … to explain to him that I needed his help.” He said he told McDonnell about his discovery, anatabine, and that it needed testing that should be performed in Virginia.
Williams testified that he needed access to William Hazel, the Virginia secretary of health.
Williams testified that in April 2011, Maureen McDonnell told him, “We can go shopping now.” He said he asked her, “Are you sure that’s OK? ‘Oh sure, it’s OK, it’s OK now,’ ” he said she told him.
They shopped at several expensive stores in New York where Williams purchased $20,000 worth of items, including two or three dresses; a full length, white leather coat; shoes; a purse; and a rain coat.
The trial has just begun. Now we see the defense strategy. It is going to get worse–more like a soap opera. When will Stewart and Colbert get hold of it? It is only a matter of time.
One of the things that I like about Virginia is that this case actually made the news.
Where I grew up….it would be “business as usual.”
@Cargosquid
do not tell that to Ray Nagin……
@Pat.Herve
He’s not as smart as Edwin Edwards……AND it was while I was growing up.
My governor didn’t plead “innocent” to bribery. He said, “Prove it.”
@Cargosquid
well, they eventually got Edwin Edwards in 2001. And Obama did not pardon him as he had been pressured to do. I hope LA and VA tighten up their laws so that it is not business as usual, but law makers do not like to put restrictions on themselves, and usually exempt themselves from laws that they impose on others.