Richmond, Va. – Former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s plea to remain free from jail while he appeals his public corruption convictions to the Supreme Court of the United States was denied Thursday by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
McDonnell was sentenced to two years in prison after he and his wife Maureen McDonnell were convicted of numerous criminal charges in a six-week corruption trial ending last September.
In July, the appeals court upheld McDonnell‘s conviction. McDonnell’s request for a rehearing was also denied.
According to the Washington Post, a formal request to the Supreme Court is now McDonnell’s last chance to remain free from prison while he continues to fight his case.
The jury found him guilty of using his office to help businessman Jonnie Williams promote his dietary supplement business. Williams gave Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen $177,000 in gifts and loans.
McDonnell issued the following statement:
I am saddened by the Court’s decision today to deny me freedom while I pursue vindication in the U.S. Supreme Court. I am innocent of these charges and will petition the U.S. Supreme Court for a grant of bond. I ask my exceptional friends across the nation to continue to support and pray for me and my family during this agonizing time. I thank God for His abundant grace and strength as I continue this difficult journey.
Governor Bob McDonnell
