The Washington metropolitan area is no stranger to scandal. District and Maryland residents saw a parade of their top elected officials plead guilty to criminal misconduct in recent years, and now it’s Virginia’s turn in the spotlight. On Jan. 21 federal prosecutors filed a 14-count indictment against former Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, accusing the couple of illegally accepting payments, gifts and loans in exchange for promoting a dietary supplement company.
Unlike a number of other embattled local politicos, the McDonnells are fighting back. With big-name Washington-area white-collar defense lawyers behind them, the McDonnells immediately denounced what they called “unjust overreach” by prosecutors.
