Maureen McDonnell received unfair Trial over Public Corruption Charges, say her Lawyers

On Monday, legal team of Maureen McDonnell, wife of the former governor of Virginia Bob McDonnell, said in a court filing that the former Virginia first lady's convictions on public corruption charges are based on overly broad definition of bribery. The team also said that Maureen wasn't given a fair trial owing to mistakes.

The court filing is of about 101 pages, which has been filed in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. According to McDonnell's attorneys, court should overturn McDonnell's conviction or she should be given another trial. In September last year, Governor of Virginia Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen McDonnell were convicted in a joint trial.

According to reports, they have taken about $165,000 in gifts and loans from ex-Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams. In exchange, they promised to promote the nutritional supplements of his company.

In January this year, the ex governor of Virginia was sentenced to spent two years in prison. A month later, his wife Maureen McDonnell was sentenced to one year and a day behind the bars. Both, Bob and his wife are now free on bond, but they have been pursuing appeals.

According to the reports, Maureen's arguments are same to those of Bob. Both of them stated that their convictions are based on flawed understanding. In the filing on Monday, Maureen McDonnell's legal team said, "This court should reject an interpretation of the federal bribery law so vague and boundless that it sweeps every politician and his or her spouse into its grasp, leaving prosecutors free to decide who faces prison and who gets a pass".

As per the reports, prosecutors are ready to Maureen McDonnell's filings by May. It is still not revealed that when the appeals court will issue a ruling on the case.