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Things have gone from bad to worse for Bob McDonnell, the once highly touted Governor from Virginia that had national ambitions but ended his tenure with a tarnished reputation and a federal investigation that he just couldn't get rid of. That investigation has now concluded and McDonnell and his wife were charged in Federal Court with a multitude of felony counts. The McConnell's stand accused of accepting thousands of dollars in gifts, luxury vacations, and loans from a wealthy businessman, Jonnie R. Williams. They have been charged with 14 felony counts ranging from wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and obtaining property under color of their official office, among other counts. Mr. McDonnell was separately charged with making a false statement to a financial institution.
McDonnell's fall from grace would have seemed unthinkable a few years ago. He was a popular Governor that was not shy about his ambitions for a much higher office. Now he is facing multiple felony counts and looking at the real possibility of spending a long time behind bars and facing massive financial penalties for his actions.
This sad series of events just goes to show how absolute power corrupts absolutely. The unsettling aspect about this story is that the cynic inside of me believes this kind of stuff happens all of the time, regardless of political party, but only makes national headlines when one of these politicians is dumb enough to get caught. Do you agree with me, or do you feel that McDonnell is just one bad apple that bit off more than he could chew?