Bob McDonnell | |
|---|---|
 McDonnell in 2010 | |
| 71st Governor of Virginia | |
| In office January 16, 2010 – January 11, 2014 | |
| Lieutenant | Bill Bolling |
| Preceded by | Tim Kaine |
| Succeeded by | Terry McAuliffe |
| 44th Attorney General of Virginia | |
| In office January 14, 2006 – February 20, 2009 | |
| Governor | Tim Kaine |
| Preceded by | Judith Jagdmann |
| Succeeded by | Bill Mims |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 84th district | |
| In office January 8, 1992 – January 14, 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Glenn McClanan |
| Succeeded by | Sal Iaquinto |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Francis McDonnell June 15, 1954 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Maureen Patricia Gardner
(m. 1976; div. 2020) |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | University of Notre Dame (BBA) Boston University (MS) Regent University (MA, JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1976–1981 (active) 1981–1997 (reserve) |
| Rank |  Lieutenant colonel |
| Unit | J.A.G. Corps |
Robert Francis McDonnell (born June 15, 1954) is an American politician, attorney, businessman, academic administrator, and former military officer who served as the 71st governor of Virginia from 2010 to 2014. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Born in Philadelphia, McDonnell was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve. He later served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1992 to 2006, and was attorney general of Virginia from 2006 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, McDonnell was elected governor of Virginia after using the campaign slogan "Bob's for Jobs."[1] He defeated Democratic state Senator Creigh Deeds by a 17-point margin in the 2009 general election, which was marked by the severe recession of the late 2000s. McDonnell succeeded Democrat Tim Kaine, who was term-limited by Virginia law.[2][3]
After taking office as governor, McDonnell advocated privatization and promoted offshore drilling for Virginia. He moved to extend a contract to outsource the state's computer operations and sought to fund transportation improvements from asset sales, including a proposal to auction off liquor stores operated by the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The state's unemployment rate declined from 7.4% in January 2010, when McDonnell took office, to 5.2% in December 2013, comparable to the decline in the national unemployment rate from 9.8% to 6.7% during the same period.[4][5] McDonnell's governorship ended with a 55% to 32% approval to disapproval rating among registered voters.[6] McDonnell also served on the executive committee of the Republican Governors Association.[7] McDonnell could not serve two consecutive terms due to Virginia's Constitutional provision Article V, section 1 from 1851.[8][9] Due to the state's Constitution forbidding back-to-back terms, Virginia governors usually vigorously promote their party's candidate to succeed them as a kind of "symbolic second term".[10] But due to facing charges of corruption McDonnell's assistance was not sought by Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's campaign.[10]
On January 21, 2014, McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, were indicted on federal corruption charges for receiving improper gifts and loans from a Virginia businessman. They were convicted on most counts by a federal jury on September 4, 2014. McDonnell, the first Virginia governor to be indicted or convicted of a felony, was sentenced on January 6, 2015, to two years in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. However, he was free on bond during the subsequent appeals process.[11] On June 27, 2016, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously overturned McDonnell's conviction and remanded the case to a lower court.[12][13] Less than three months later, the Justice Department announced that they would not prosecute the case again and moved to dismiss the charges against the former governor and his wife.[14] The case cost McDonnell over $27 million in legal bills.[15]
McDonnell currently serves as a professor at Regent University and runs the McDonnell Group, a real estate consulting firm, with his sister.[15]
- ^ Walker, Julian (January 17, 2010). "Can McDonnell's proposals revive job creation?". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
timewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "National Implications: McDonnell's Win Is a Model for Conservative Revival". Richmond Times-Dispatch. November 4, 2009. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
- ^ "Unemployment in the U.S. – Google Public Data Explorer". Retrieved July 19, 2013.
- ^ "Unemployment Rates for States". www.bls.gov. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
- ^ "Approval Rating Status Quo" (PDF). NBC4.
- ^ "Va.'s McDonnell succeeds Perry at GOP governors group". USA Today. August 15, 2011. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ Martin Austermuhle (September 28, 2017). "Why Can Virginia Governors Only Serve One Term? And Should That Change?". WAMU.
- ^ "1851 Virginia Constitution". William Culey. 1851.
- ^ a b Laura Vozzella (October 26, 2013). "Probe of gifts leaves McDonnell sidelined in Va. governor's race". The Washington Post.
- ^ Matt Zapotosky; Rosalind S. Helderman (September 4, 2014). "Robert McDonnell guilty of 11 corruption counts". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 4, 2014. Cain, Andrew, and Frank Green. "Appeals court panel upholds former Va. Gov. Bob McDonnell's convictions", Richmond Times-Dispatch, July 10, 2015.
- ^ Supreme Court overturns corruption conviction of former Va. governor McDonnell (Washington Post)
- ^ Liptak, Adam (June 28, 2016). "Supreme Court Vacates Ex-Virginia Governor's Graft Conviction". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- ^ de Vogue, Ariane (September 8, 2016). "No new trial for ex-Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell". CNN. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ a b "After "long journey to legal vindication," Bob McDonnell seeks to reclaim place in public life, salve family ties". Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on December 21, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2024.