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DOJ Drops Charges Against Bob McDonnell

Former governor will not face retrial.

The U.S. Department of Justice will move to dismiss the case against former Virgnia Gov. Bob McDonnell, thereby refusing to retry him after the Supreme Court overturned his conviction earlier this year. McDonnell was found guilty in 2014 of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gifts and loans from a wealthy businessman in exchange for promoting a dietary supplement. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that a politician cannot be punished for giving access to constituents without actually exercising government power or an “official act” to benefit that favored individual. “After carefully considering the Supreme Court’s recent decision and the principles of federal prosecution, we have made the decision not to pursue the case further," the DOJ said in a statement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia had recently recommended the department put McDonnell back on trial.