You can be my friend too for $170,000, Jonnie

It is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place. – H. L. Mencken

Oh bother! Here we are on the threshold of a historic court case involving former governor Robert McDonnell and his wife Maureen. Regardless of the outcome, regardless of how the jury perceives the evidence, and regardless of the letter of the law—the truth is something just doesn’t meet the sniff test with this case.

The prosecution says there is really only one thing they have to prove. They have to show that McDonnell provided Williams and his company Star Scientific an “official act” in promoting his product Anatabloc. So it boils down to what is an official act. The prosecution contends that when the governor hosted a kickoff lunch, or product launch, take you pick, he crossed the boundary and broke the law. The launch, prosecutor David V. Harbach II, would say was the pro quo to Jonnie Williams’ quid.

Of course, McDonnell and his attorney would argue that such a deal did not rise to the standard of being an official act. It was merely conducting the business of his office to work with Virginia businesses. It is indeed a fine line McDonnell is walking.

But Harbach argues that the luncheon was indeed an official act. It was held in the Executive Mansion. That fact alone is enough to lend at least a touch of credence to its being an official act.

What other businesses get to hold a luncheon at the executive mansion? And that doesn’t even take into account the other doings that surround this case.

McDonnell has repeatedly tried to establish that he and Jonnie Williams were friends. That friendship was what prompted all of the gifts and loans and freebies.

Oh really? Mmmmmm-I’m not so sure about that.

Well I have friends too, and one or two of them are really good friends, but never have they offered me a loan at the drop of a hat. And trips, and flights, and wedding receptions, and clothes, and a Rolex—not to mention use of a Ferrari if only to drive it home from a free weekend at Williams’ Smith Mountain Lake estate.

The McDonnell’s have done well to establish a smokescreen to blind the public from the truth. Their marriage was on the skids, or at least it is for sure now. They hardly talked, life was difficult, the screaming, the yelling, the late night’s staying in the office to keep from having to face your spouse.

Sure all of that creates high drama. All of that creates a sense of sympathy for the former governor. Yes, I am sorry that his marriage was on the rocks. But it doesn’t change the basic facts. And the basic facts are what this case is all about.

How many of your friends would step out and do the kinds of things that Jonnie Williams did and not expect something in exchange. Truth be known, even paying some of the stuff back wasn’t part of the deal till the whole case went public. Golf clubs, vacations, flights on his private plane, and the wedding reception catering. How much of that would have actually been paid back had not all of this come to light?

It’s a shame to see the former Attorney General being prosecuted for the very things for which he used to prosecute others. Good luck Bob McDonnell—life and the pursuit of happiness seem to have fled already. As to liberty, a few more days ought to answer that question.