Supreme Court overturns Bob McDonnell’s corruption convictions

The Supreme Court has overturned the corruption convictions of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.

In a unanimous decision, the eight-justice court ruled that prosecutors defined too broadly the kind of conduct that qualifies as an “official act” that public officials are not permitted to trade for gifts or campaign donations.


The court's opinion, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, rejected the government's position that simply agreeing to meet with someone on account of a campaign donation or personal gift could be enough to constitute an official act that could trigger a corruption conviction.

"There is no doubt that this case is distasteful; it may be worse than that. But our concern is not with tawdry tales of Ferraris, Rolexes, and ball gowns. It is instead with the broader legal implications of the Government’s boundless interpretation of the federal bribery statute," Roberts wrote. "A more limited interpretation of the term “official act” leaves ample room for prosecuting corruption, while comporting with the text of the statute and the precedent of this Court."

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/...-bob-mcdonnells-corruption-convictions-224833