Is receiving $177,000 in gifts and loans a crime? One Virginia jury said yes. And former Governor Bob McDonnell is going to pay the price for murky ethics laws that allowed a prosecutor to charge the once-potential GOP presidential candidate with corruption. McDonnell was convicted on 11 of 14 counts of corruption. His wife was found guilty on 9 counts. Let's just say that, if taking that much money in gifts and sweetheart loans isn' clearly a crime, it should be. The tale of McDonnell and his wife's relationship to a dietary supplement entreprenuer - whose products may or may not be beneficial to one's health - is a sordid one. And while McDonnell insisted throughout the trial that he was innocent, the record speaks broadly about a failed system of ethics in state government. Reuters: Prosecutors charged that McDonnell and his wife received $177,000 in loans and gifts from dietary supplement entrepreneur Jonnie Williams Sr. in exchange for promoting his...(Read Full Post)