@Michael wme: I tried to respond hours ago, but the site ate my post and I had to do something productive in the meantime.
Your link is valuable, but dated. Being a Virginia resident, I get details on the front page every day.
Mr. Williams is now testifying for the prosecution. He stated that he was intending to use power and influence to buy access to the governor and to gain a competitive advantage for his business. He states that part of that was to buy gifts and to allow the McDonnells (and other political families) the use of vacation homes, cars, and other personal toys.
He knew Ms. McDonnell wanted a few gifts, so he told her he would buy them for her. He stated that he was surprised when those “few gifts” turned in $15000, but he paid it anyway. Ms. McDonnell also contacted Mr. Williams’ people to direct them to pick up three of her adult children to take them to where the family was meeting for vacation. She expected Mr. Williams to foot the bill to pick up two children in Richmond, and another in Norfolk, less than 100 miles away.
Mr. Williams has been characterized many ways, and all of them can be euphemisms for “con man”. He is also testifying with the promise of immunity, so the veracity of his testimony is questionable.
The defense is clever: they maintain that Ms. McDonnell had a crush on Mr. Williams, and that’s why she hung out with him and requested so many gifts. Although this paints her as a gold-digger, it makes her husband look like the poor sap who didn’t realize what his wife was up to, and therefore bolsters their contention that he had no idea what was going on. Therefore, he thought that the gifts were really just gifts (like the $15 K given by Mr. Williams to defray the costs of his daughter’s wedding. If only we all had such a pal, who would just give stuff away out of the goodness of his heart….)
Regardless, it appears that the ex-governor’s legal team is willing to sacrifice Ms. McDonnell in order to try to save the ex-governor. After all, he has been mentioned a number of times as a possible vice-presidential candidate, and you don’t just throw that away…
I think it’s safe to believe that the truth is nowhere near either scenario. However, when you are in a position of power, and one person keeps giving you and your family extravagant gifts, it is absurd to believe that this person wants nothing in return other than friendship. Whether the behavior involved is egregious enough to be criminal is open to question. But Mr. McDonnell is guilty, in my mind, at least of being either willfully ignorant or just plain stupid.
Which makes him highly qualified to become a vice-presidential candidate. If he’s not in jail.
@Michael wme: I tried to respond hours ago, but the site ate my post and I had to do something productive in the meantime.
Your link is valuable, but dated. Being a Virginia resident, I get details on the front page every day.
Mr. Williams is now testifying for the prosecution. He stated that he was intending to use power and influence to buy access to the governor and to gain a competitive advantage for his business. He states that part of that was to buy gifts and to allow the McDonnells (and other political families) the use of vacation homes, cars, and other personal toys.
He knew Ms. McDonnell wanted a few gifts, so he told her he would buy them for her. He stated that he was surprised when those “few gifts” turned in $15000, but he paid it anyway. Ms. McDonnell also contacted Mr. Williams’ people to direct them to pick up three of her adult children to take them to where the family was meeting for vacation. She expected Mr. Williams to foot the bill to pick up two children in Richmond, and another in Norfolk, less than 100 miles away.
Mr. Williams has been characterized many ways, and all of them can be euphemisms for “con man”. He is also testifying with the promise of immunity, so the veracity of his testimony is questionable.
The defense is clever: they maintain that Ms. McDonnell had a crush on Mr. Williams, and that’s why she hung out with him and requested so many gifts. Although this paints her as a gold-digger, it makes her husband look like the poor sap who didn’t realize what his wife was up to, and therefore bolsters their contention that he had no idea what was going on. Therefore, he thought that the gifts were really just gifts (like the $15 K given by Mr. Williams to defray the costs of his daughter’s wedding. If only we all had such a pal, who would just give stuff away out of the goodness of his heart….)
Regardless, it appears that the ex-governor’s legal team is willing to sacrifice Ms. McDonnell in order to try to save the ex-governor. After all, he has been mentioned a number of times as a possible vice-presidential candidate, and you don’t just throw that away…
I think it’s safe to believe that the truth is nowhere near either scenario. However, when you are in a position of power, and one person keeps giving you and your family extravagant gifts, it is absurd to believe that this person wants nothing in return other than friendship. Whether the behavior involved is egregious enough to be criminal is open to question. But Mr. McDonnell is guilty, in my mind, at least of being either willfully ignorant or just plain stupid.
Which makes him highly qualified to become a vice-presidential candidate. If he’s not in jail.