a $50,000 check made out to maureen mcdonnell, the first lady. another $70,000 in checks made out to a real estate company that bob mcdonnell operated with his sister. not to mention tens of thousands of dollars more in campaign contributions, mostly in the form of free private jet travel for the governor. and while that is quite an amazing array of things for the governor and his family to have taken while the governor was in office, that, itself, is not necessarily a crime. i mean, there may be reporting requirements with regard to some of those gifts. there may be tax implications and banking implications there. but the sheer fact of having taken that much loot from one guy while you were governor, in virginia, that wouldn't be the sort of thing that would necessarily get you indicted on its own. that's just the quid. what federal prosecutors are alleging is quid pro quo. what they can prove is the core allegation in this indictment, that exchange for the six-figure largess from the ceo of star scientific, governor mcdonnell and his wife, quote

according to the indictment, maureen mcdonnell sent an e-mail that had no text but an attached picture of mcdonnell driving the ferrari. the governor sent an e-mail to the virginia secretary of health stating that mcdonnell, quote, would like to have one of the secretary of health's deputies attend a briefing at the mansion with the first lady on the trials, a new dietary supplement that williams' company was trying to promote. again, another accusation of the quid pro quo. williams also bought a rolex watch for the governor and paid for golf outings for mcdonnell and his family. prosecutors contend that in exchange, the mcdonnells arranged for williams to have access to the state official and that the mcdonnells themselves attended star scientific events all designed to promote the company and its stock price, and they even have text messages having to do -- talking about the stock price of the company. they also say the couple tried to hide the extent of the relationship with williams and accused the former first lady of lying to investigators. joining me now is nbc news justice corr

but basically promoting the company. >> let's talk about maureen mcdonnell, the wife here. tment, these 43 pages, it's more about her than the go. her name seems to come up much more than former governor bob mcdonnell here. wouldn't a viable legal strategy be, you know, this was all her. and she wasn't elected to anything. so there was no public corruption here. >> here you get into very interesting issues of male-female dynamics, husband-wife dynamics. because it certainly does look like from the evidence laid out in the indictment that maureen mcdonnell was the person pressing for more and more money from the owner of this company. but how does it look for the governor, former governor, to stand up in front of the juror have his lawyers say oh, it's all my wife's fault? >> it may look awful and this whole list of gifts looks awful but they have to prove what in terms of their relationship here? >> well, the central charge is conspiracy. she's also charged with making false statements which is a separate, more simpler issue. but the government will have to prove that this w

. >>> a jury will decide the fate of former virginia governor bob mcdonnell and his wife maureen. they pleaded not guilty to federal fraud and conspiracy charges today. they're accused of using the governor's office to help a businessman in exchange for luxury gifts and loans. peggy fox is in richmond and even though the governor was not talking to reporters today, he did answer her question after the court hearing. >> reporter: flanked by their grown children and a total of seven attorneys, former governor bob mcdonnell and his wife maureen walked through a gauntlet of media into a federal courthouse in richmond to answer federal corruption charges. in the first hearing bond was waived. they were ordered to turn over their passport and not leave the country. you think the governor is innocent? >> i trust bob. i love him. >> reporter: in the arraignment hearing the judge asked if they were on any medication. bob mcdonnell said just blood pressure medication. the former first lady said she was taking medicine for concentration and anxiety. they each pleaded not guilty to 14 counts.

as promised by maureen mcdonnell jw was seated next to them at the eventilator that evening. two governors, jersey's and virginia's recent won the face of the republican future just four years ago are in a far different place. >>> alex, what i like about you is you see things in perspective. what is strange when you pull back a little bit is the recognizable wrong doing pinned on the governors if it can be pinned. people get a bridge jamup. they get screwed around with political rivals and get muscle on the docks of new jersey. they can figure that one out from the movies have seen that. now you have supermarket sweepstakes in the new york city where somebody is running around town grabbing stuff off the shelf knowing some sugar daddy apparently is picking up the bill. why is this guy doing this? who is this person who wants to say go buy what you want and i will take care of it? >> the american public and the residents of virginia certainly get the short end of the stick. a close second is jonni williams who got passing endorsements from the governor, good seats at certain d

look at this e-mail from maureen mcdonnell. it says, "we are broke, have an unconscionable amount of credit card debt already, and this inaugural is killing us. i need answers, and i need help." >>> we're learning that governor mcdonnell was offered a plea deal before the indictment of released but rejected it. the "washington post" reports prosecutors proposed that mcdonnell plead guilty on felony fraud charges. and his wife would avoid charges altogether. mcdonnell has maintained he did nothing wrong, and the prosecutors are stretching the law to try to entrap him. >>> we of course will try to be following today's court appearances and will let you know developments by pushing alerts to you with our nbc washington app. >>> this morning, part of a house is off its foundation after an explosion in anne arundel county. chopper 4 was over the home on meadow vail road in glen burnie. firefighters say a gas leak caused the explosion. . the blast knocked out a wall, causing part of the house to cave. in baltimore gas and electric was

tens of thousands of dollars in checks were made payable to maureen mcdonnell.sed of obstruction of justice for promoting a lie to this man, former ceo of a dietary summitment company who is said to have showered the company with $140,000 in loans and gifts in exchange for helping promote the company's products. sources have said the former governor's lawyers tried to convince government prosecutors that they would not be able to prove their case at trial even if it came to that. mr. mcdonnell has said he was not even aware of some of his wife's alleged dealings. our calls to lawyers for the couple were not returned today. >> but quickly, this is not a slam dunk for the prosecution, is it? >> not by my means. it could be a very close case. that's why his lawyers were telling the prosecutors it would be tough to make this in court. >> joe johns reporting for us, thanks very much. >>> we want to say good-bye to our colleague and good friend jill dougherty. she's leaving cnn after 30 years of helping us cover the world. jill has been a cnn white house correspondent

but, today former virginia governor bob mcdonnell and his wife maureen walked into the federal court as accused partners in crime. they are both charged with using the power of the governor's office to promote a diet supplement company in exchange for elaborate gifts. maureen mcdonnell allegedly received oscar de la renta ball gowns, armani dresses, handbags form louis vitton, golf clubs, iphones, and a rolex watch inscribed "71st governor of virginia." and that's not even counting the loans, prosecutors say the grand total was at least $165,000. in an e-mail, she once told an aide -- "we are broke have an unconscionable amount in credit card debt already and this inaugural is killing us." in court today, they pleaded not guilty to fraud. the couple could face decades in prison. jeff zeleny, abc news, washington. >> jeff, thank you. >>> now an abc news exclusive tonight. one-on-one with apple ceo tim cook. i asked him what's coming next and this evening, a major victory for made in america and what tim cook wants every american to know about this country's controversial surveillance

the defendants robert mcdonnell and maureen mcdonnell.llegations, maureen mcdonnell asked williams to take her on a shopping trip to new york. he spent nearly $20,000 buying her dresses. she asked for a $50,000 loan and for $15,000 to help pay for remaining catering costs at their daughter's wedding. williams also paid for golf outings for mcdonnell and his family. they enjoyed a private vacation at his multimillion-dollar vacation home, and bought a rolex watch for the governor. mcdonnell says he deeply regrets accepting gifts and loans but says he did nothing illegal. it's a total of 14 felony counts. the couple could face decades in prison if convicted on these charges. joining me now is david mccutcheon, and the leader of the senate's democratic caucus, and "washington post" dana milbank. state senator mccutcheon, thanks very much for being here. you've been fighting for answers from the start. what is your reaction to the charges? >> well, it's a sad day for the commonwealth, reverend. i think it underscores the need for us to get se

late to save his political career. >> eugene, there's an excerpt here that i want to show of maureen mcdonnell'sail to a senior mcdonnell staff member. "i need answers and bob is screaming about the thousands i'm charging up in credit card debt. we are broke. have an unconscionable amount in credit card debt already and this inaugural is killing us." >> it sounds as if the family really was in fairly dire financial straits. they made real estate investments at the height of the market, and so everything was under water, they were having trouble making their mortgage payments. that's a terrible fix for an elected official to be in. and i guess they felt they were expected to spend money, just by virtue of the position of governor. however, did it have to be louis vuitton? did it have to be a rolex? there's always a grasping nature to these allegations that goes beyond i think simple financial trouble. >> and the shopping trips. mark halperin, up there in new york. oscar de la renta, louis vuitton. this was no low-rent operation. >> they've got nice stuff here in new york. >> and i know you're an

according to the federal prosecutors, maureen mcdonnell was looking to get some stock in the companywned by this donor, this friend, whose name is johnny williams, and who owned a company that was a dietary supplement company. he was trying to get more state attention from it. he was trying to make sure that the governor's office could perhaps use his power to endorse the product, to encourage the state universities to do some research on it. that's what the allegation is, according to federal prosecutors. now, you know, this -- the list, as you said, is pretty long. and it looks pretty damning for the governor and the first lady. because according to what prosecutors are saying, you know, they were using its offices of the governor to essentially boost this company. and in return, they were getting money and loans and so on from this friend, johnny williams. >> yeah. and we'll see what happens. a lot of legal experts say it's not necessarily a slam dunk, this case. but we'll see what happens in the days, weeks and months to come. evan perez, thanks very much. >>> fireworks flying at

mcdonnell and his wife flower reason. they pleaded not guilty to federal fraud and con fir -- maureen. they pleaded not guilty to federal fraud and conspiracy charges today. peggy fox is in richmond. >> reporter: former governor mcdonnell and his wife walked into a gauntlet of media into a federal courthouse in richmond. in the first hearing the judge waived bond, ordered them to turn over their passports and not leave the country. you think the governor is innocent? >> i trust bob. i love him. >> reporter: in the arraignment hearing judge spencer asked each of them if they were on any medication. bob mcdonnell said just blood pressure medicine. the former first lady said she was takinged me for concentration and anxiety -- taking medicine for concentration and anxiety. they're charged with taking it unhundred $65,000 worth of loans, trips -- $165,000 worth of loans, trips and expensive trips from former star scientific ceo jonnie williams and promoting his company. they are accused of trying to cover up the trial. governor, a lot of people are here to support you. what do you think? >>

now durgin you know where former governor bob mcdonnell and his wife maureen were in court today the two were indicted on fourteen counts tuesday after a lengthy federal investigation of their relationship with the former c.e.o. of a dietary supplement maker the former republican governor and his wife officially entered not guilty pleas at a court hearing this morning artie's was well attended the hearing in richmond and brings us more. it was the first court appearance for the former governor of virginia robert mcdonnell and his wife maureen at the federal courthouse here in richmond virginia at the arraignment both of them pleaded not guilty to the charges against them counts ranged from conspiracy fraud and falsifying documents now the charges stem from a relationship that the mcdonald's had with a wealthy businessman a man that owns a nutritional supplement company the prosecution alleges that the mcdonald's use the office of the governor to gain personal financial benefits financial gifts it's all mapped out in be an indictment the gifts include everything from oscar dela rent a

oh it was the first court appearance for the former governor of virginia robert mcdonnell and his wife maureen at the federal courthouse here in richmond virginia at the arraignment both of them pleaded not guilty to the charges against them counts ranged from conspiracy fraud and falsifying documents now the charges stem from a relationship that the mcdonald's had with a wealthy businessman a man that owns a nutritional supplement company the prosecution alleges that the mcdonald's use the office of the governor to gain personal financial benefits financial gifts it's all mapped out in the indictment the gifts include everything from oscar dela renta address is a rolex watch money for their daughter's wedding and thousands of dollars in loans all of it adds up to about one hundred sixty five thousand dollars and in return the prosecution alleges that they use their position of power to grant to promote this company and to grant special access to government leaders now before the arraignment the judge made it very clear that this case will not be tried in the media but will be tried inside tha

both he and his wife maureen mcdonnell were indicted today. this document lays out the next step for bob mcdonnell. it's a summons to appear in federal court in richmond on friday morning. i'm julie carey. >>> people braved the snow to vote on a very important virginia state senate seat today with more than 50% of the vote. democrat jennifer wexton won the special election for the 33rd district that includes parts of fairfax and loudoun counties. wexton's win gives democrats the chance to take control of the state senate, pending a recount in hampton roads. today's special election was held to fill democrat mark herring's seat after he was elected attorney general. >>> more now on this winter storm that has had an impact on 80 million americans. the system stretched a thousand miles between kentucky and massachusetts. it made a mess along the i-95 corridor. the storm is fast. it dumped up to 2 inches of snow an hour in some places, and it was dangerous there have been hundreds of accidents on the roads. and more than 3,000 flights have been gr

the prosecution offered to drop all the charges against maureen mcdonnell if bob mcdonnell would plead guilty to one fraud count. that didn't happen. a trial date is set for july 28th. in richmond peggy fox, wusa9. >>> breaking news right now, traffic on the gb parkway backed up for miles because of an accident between route 197 and powder mill road. the parkway is closed both directions. a vehicle going south bound jumped the median into the northbound lane and then crashed head on into another car. no word on what caused the crash. >>> in montgomery county four people are hurt after a crash involving pedestrians and two vehicles. it happened on muncaster mill road in gaithersburg. we're trying to get answers how this happened. >>> a guilty plea today from the alexandria woman whose 8- month-old baby died after being locked in a hot car back in july. zoraida hernandez submitted an alfred plea which mes she sense the verdict without accepting guilt. hernandez agreed to 2 1/2 years of probation. i the shootings at -- >>> the shootings at virginia tech, the attack on senator creigh deeds

. >> it's a little hard to believe that just 14 days ago, bob and maureen mcdonnell were the governorhe state of virginia. today, in court, pleading not guilty to federal corruption charges. it all stems from their relationship with businessman johnny williams and his company, star scientific. the governor and his wife are alleged to have taken a laundry list of gifts from williams allegedly to benefit star scientific in return from the governor's office. take a look at this list of some of the gifts, including $6,500 rolex, inscribed 71st governor of virginia, a $50,000 loan to maureen mcdonnell, a $70,000 loan to mcdonnell real estate businesses, a $15,000 new york city shopping trip, $25,000 in cash and wedding gifts and also $7,500 in golf outings. the total here, $165,000 in gifts and loans, according to the government. mcdonnell has said he was not aware of all of the gifts and insists that he did nothing illegal in all of this. but a fascinating scandal in the virginia area just outside of washington, d.c. >> a very high profile case indeed. thank you. >>> we have a great read

bob and maureen mcdonnell are accused of soliciting loans and gifts from the head of a dietary supplementa rising star in the republican party, says the gifts he received were all legal. >> i never promised and mr. williams and his company never received any government benefit of any kind from me or from my administration. >> if convicted, the mcdonnells face decades of jail time. the executive accused of taking gifts from has stepped down and the company has changed its name. >>> okay. here is all the incentive you will ever need to start learning a lot about men's college basketball. note to self here that incentive $1 billion. i got to start paying attention. >> i'm sure that got attention of people who are almost asleep right now. that money put up by warren buffett's berkshire hathaway. and quicken loans. it will be awarded to anyone who correctly predicts the winner of every game in this year's ncaa basketball tournament. >> march madness just got a little more kreez. if someone does it, he or she will be paid in 40 annual installments of $25 million, or they can take a lump sum pay

. >> applause from well wishers as bob mcdonnell and wife maureen left federal court, their twa daughtewo daughters alongside. this is what mcdonnell had to say about the show of support. >> god bless good friends and family. >> reporter: they packed a courtroom earlier as mcdonnell pleaded not guilty to the fraud and conspiracy charges against him. the former first lady did the same. several gop lawmakers, including the house speaker were there. >> i wanted to make sure bob knew his friends were there. and if he needs to call upon us for moral support, we're here. >> the mcdonnells have surrendered their passports and cannot leave the country. they were indicted on tuesday on 14 charges of fraud and conspiracy. prosecutors say they accepted more than $165,000 of gifts and loans. in return, help promote one of his company's products. many of the allegations were leaked and reported long before the indictment. both judges have stern words for attorneys. this case is going to be tried in the courtroom, not going to be tried in the media. the gamesmanship with the media ends now. friends s

bob and maureen mcdonnell accused of taking loans, cash, gifts and shopping sprees from the head of a dietary supplement company who hoped the governor would endorse his product. mcdonnell, once a rising star in the republican party, says the gifts he received were all legal. >>> breaking news overnight from ukraine where the anti-government violence has turned deadly. at least three protesters were killed as authorities moved in to dismantle makeshift barricades. now, despite heavy snow and freezing temperatures, hundreds of demonstrators stayed out all night to confront police. >>> and incredible video here, the famous statue of christ, which looks over the city of rio de janeiro, is undergoing repairs. two fingers and the head were chipped during recent lightning storms, and these guys had to take an up-close look. now, we're told it'll take about four months to fix. >> i don't think i'd be cut out for that job. >> oh, boy. you got to be brave. >> those are some really brave guys. >> uh-huh. >>> another round of crash test results are in, and now there are new concerns about the sm

. >>> in other political news, breaking, bob mcdonnell and his wife maureen were indicted on allegationscepting gifts alon and loans. joe johns is joining us. these allegations, what are you hearing? >> it's a long one. it's 43 pages, and it's known as honor services wire fraud involving governor mcdonnell and his wife maureen. they are also charged with conspiracy to object bank property essentially through abuse of office. there's a false statement charge against the former governor himself as well as one against the both of them and obstruction of justice charge against maureen mcdonnell over a letter in which she apparently asserted that she promised to give a gift back to a donor when there was no apparent intent to do so. this is what is known in the business as a talking indictment that really lays out full details of the case that's been expected for some time. the meat of the case involves loans and other things of value allegedly given to the mcdonnells by the former ceo of a dietary supplement company called star scientific. the ceo's name is johnny williams. they used his nam

meanwhile, in richmond, former virginia governor bob mcdonnell and his wife maureen fought through cameras to the first court appearance. the mcdonnells rejected a plea deal from federal prosecutors that would have let his wife off the hook and release of embarrassing details about their lavish gifts. chris cillizza and usa today washington bureau chief, susan page. on the "washington post" reporter, they have been all over this story for months and months as this investigation progressed. let's talk about that plea deal. they pleaded not guilty it will and won't appear in court until next summer with all of the pretrial maneuvering that's going to take place. but why is your reporting why is the "washington post" reporting that he rejected that deal, because he believes he's not guilty or they have a different strategy? >> first of all, thank you for the acknowledgement, i would say it's roz who has done the vast majority of reporting and done amazing work. i think the answer is what you said and its kind of in front of your face politically speaking, which is bob mcdonnell didn't want to

that guy, bob mcdonnell, and his wife, maureen, former first lady of virginia, have now been indictediple counts. it's a culmination of a years-long investigation, centering on the relationship between the mcdonnells and this man, johnny r. williams sr., who is the ceo of a dietary supplement company called star scientific. the basics of the allegations are this. that williams gave the governor and his wife more than $140,000 in gifts in exchange for concrete actions by both the governor and his wife to promote star scientific. in fact, the list of cash and gifts, as stated in today's indictment, includes $140,850 including multiple cash payments, black louis vuitton shoes, white louis vuitton shoes, a rolex watch engraved with 71st governor of virginia, a blew armani jacket and two dresses. one pair of emilio rose earrings, two sets of golf clubs and two iphones. i'm reading you only part of the long list of gifts alleged in this complaint. by the time the scandal had reached its apex in 2013, governor mcdonnell issued a statement, apologizing, while contending that all the gifts wer

bob and maureen mcdonnell are accused of accepting gifts and loans from a ceo of a company interested in doing business in the state. northern virginia bureau chief julie carey was -- visiting now from richmond. >> reporter: former governor bob mcdonnell and his wife maureen pled not guilty to the government corruption charges. family, friends, and reporters crowded into two courtrooms for two separate hearings. >> how are you going to plead -- >> reporter: the governor and his wife came in hand in hand. one upstairs, they greeted friends who lined the hallway outside the courtroom. the first hearing was a bond hearing. the couple was told they'd be released on their own reconnaissanc-- own recognizance. they may not travel outside the country. the second hearing of the formal arraignment on 14 charges of fraud and conspiracy. the couple's accused of accepting more than $165,000 in gifts and loans from a wealthy businessman in return for helping his company. both took an oath, raised their hand, and pleaded not guilty to the charges. [ applause ] >> reporter: outside afternoon ward, w

tonight, former virginia governor bob mcdonnell and his wife maureen are free after pleading not guilty to corruption charges. while they said little in court today, a lot of new information came out today. northern virginia bureau chief julie carey was in the courtroom. she joins us live from richmond now with the latest on this story. julie? >> reporter: as you know, virginia prides itself in its history. the longest running general assembly, the birthplace of presidents. today just a few blocks from here in federal court, a dark moment in the history as one of virginia's governors appeared to face criminal charges. >> how you feel this morning? >> good morning. >> reporter: hand in hand with wife maureen, former virginia governor, bob mcdodcdonnell, navigated cameras as he arrived in court. inside a packed courtroom, mcdonnell put his hand on the bible, to take a much different oath than the many he took in 222 years of elective office. -- 22 years of elective office. he pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and fraud charge. the first lady did the same. several lawmakers including the ho

sprees and she also had a big hand in trying to get an inauguration gown out of him, this is maureen mcdonnell, an e-mail she wrote, i need to talk about the inaugural gown charges, bob is screaming, and this inaugural is killing us. i node answers, i need help, i need to get this done. this is the wife of the governor talking to her staff who said the gown she wanted they could not ask the businessman for. >> the only person you answer to is yourself, i thought republicans were supposed to be fiscal conservative. >> better with the state's finae explanation is that mcdonnell is on the dull side compared to chris christie and washed up as a future player. any presidential hopes ended when this started coming out. >> he said i didn't do anything illegal but i am returning the gifts. >> wendy davis is getting a lot of attention, and here is something from the "today" show a couple week before a story in the dallas morning news raised question the about the background of wendy davis in texas. >> she grew up poor and the age of 18 was pregnant and married. by 19 she was getting diversed and living

two years later when the federal investigation began, maureen mcdonnell returned the clothes to williams with a note reading i truly hope your daughter will now be able to enjoy these lovely outfits and show them off on many grand occasions. there was the ferrari. while staying at williams' lake home, maureen asked if the sports car would be dropped off for their use. soon after she e-mailed williams a photo of the governor behind the wheel and asked the health secretary to send a deputy to williams to talk about the dietary supplement. >>> coming up we hear whether the government's indictment could drag down other g candidates in 2014. >> thank you. one in five women in college is raped or squaellyexually assaul during her time on campus. the president talks about new steps to protect men and women. >>> want every young man in america to feel strong peer pressure, understand what's expected of them and to intervene if they see somebody else acting inappropriately. >> the president signed a memorandum today creating a task force to recommend to college s to respond and prevent sexual ass

april 13th, 2011, was a great day for maureen mcdonnell. he accompanied her to luxury stores in new york city. j.w. paid for the entire luxury shopping trip. what a trip it was! almost $11,000 spent at oscar de la renta. 6,000 at louis vitton. the governor received a cornucopia of luxury freebies. $25,000 for two of his daughter's weddings. a four day all expense paid trip to cape cod, yacht included. over $7,000 in golfing expenses. a $6,500 engraved rolex watch. and the use of mr. williams ferrari. cameron fry is so jealous. last night responding to the indictment or the delusionally long list of stuff he thought he could get away with, the former governor was defiant. >> while i deeply regret accepting these legal gifts and loans from mr. williams, all of these have been returned and repaid with interest. i repeat again emphatically that i did nothing illegal for mr. williams in exchange for what i believe was his personal friendship and his generosity. >> joining me now is ryan grim and michael steel. ryan, let's start with this goody b

in the way that now with the indictment in virginia, the mcdonnell's, a direct ee-mail from maureen mcdonnell to johnny williams talking about a shopping spree, until we see something like that with regard to bridge gate governor christie people will continue to give him a bit of a benefit of a doubt. >> let me bring you to another question i have. governor christie said he never asked, for example, bridget kelly, to explain why she sent the ee-mail saying time for traffic problems in fort lee. listen to this. >> i have not had conversation with bridget kelly since the e-mail came out. she was not given the opportunity to explain why she lied because it was so obvious she had. i am not interested in the explanation. >> a month earlier when christie announced the resignation of bill baroni claimed it was going on for months. >> i think at that they were at a very different point in the way the story was unfolding. at that point i think around the time baroni testified about the existence of the traffic study and people thought he did a good job witht that story. and the story had kind of subsi

maureen mcdonnell noticed a watch and asked what kind it would be, she would like to get one for herband. after williams agrees to buy the watch, maureen mcdonald instruct ed him to have virginia governor ena graved on the back of the rolex. i guess it beats the virginia way. even if every one of the counts is true, it's unclear if the governor and his wife broke any virginia state laws. mcdonnell's request to postpone his initial court appearance was denied, which means he's scheduled to be indicted on friday. you and i were going back and forth about this indictment? it's a bonkers document. >> it seems like what he was doing was basically extracurricular. there are states where a politician would any you have to get involved with the connected people in order to run the state. it was just they wanted nice stuff. >> this is not an indictment of the virginia way, this is an outlier thing? >> right. >> i would say the washington post has an editorial today saying, this does say the ethics laws are too lax. we had a reporter on last nigh saying, there's not much in the way of laws gui

mcdonnell once set his sights on the white house. >> we need a big change this november. >> reporter: his wife, maureen, a washington redskins cheerleaderfirst lady. >> so thank you all. the great people we have in virginia. >> reporter: partners in marriage and politics. >> make room. >> reporter: but this morning, prosecutors say the mcdonnells are partners in crime. >> come on, guys. >> thank you. thank you so much. >> reporter: they appeared in court friday pleading not guilty to fraud and corruption charges. they're accused of using the prestige of the governor's office to help launch a business venture for a wealthy virginia donor in exchange for lavish gifts, vacations and big loans. prosecutors say maureen mcdonnell went on a madison avenue shopping spree while the donor picked up the tab. there were oscar de la renta ball gowns, armani dresses, handbags from louis vuitton, even a rolex watch inscribed 71st governor of virginia. a grand total of at least $165,000 in gifts and loans. the alleged payback was promoting the donor's dietary supplement company. mcdonnell says he committed no crimes. >> i will use every available resou

launch its signature product at an august launch at the governor's mansion, and an e-mail sent by maureen mcdonnellsenior staffer saying, quote, i need answers and bob is screaming about the thousands i'm charging up in credit card debt. we are broke and have an unconscionable credit card debt already and this inauguration is killing us. among the $140,000 gifts are louis vuitton shoes, two gold dresses, two sets of golf clubs and a silver rolex watch engraved with 71st governor of virginia. part of mcdonnells' defense quoits the access report that tim keene received more than $186,000 in gifts and travel since 2001, including washington redskins tickets, cases of wine, and an $18,000 caribbean vacation. his attorneys note unlike mcdonnell, kane, now a senator, has never been falsely accused of committing a federal crime. mcdonnell's lawyers argue it's assessme accepted for a virginia politician to accept gifts. and that does not mean corruption. they're expected in court on friday. >> we'll follow this case, and you can read the full indictment against the mcdonnells on our home page at foxnews.co

and they say that mcdonnell took more maureen mcdonnell to a shopping spree to oscar de la renta, and they also released this e-mail to bob mcdonnell from williams. thank you for the help to my family, and the generous gift was appreciated as well as the golf round to the boys. and the mcdonnells through a statement from the attorney said they returned all of the gifts and i have apologized for my poor judgment that i take full responsibility, but i say that i did nothing illegal with mr. william s f williams for what i believed was personal generosity, and friendship. scott macfarlane, news4. >>> and we are also following a story of a shooting at purdue university. we will tell you about that threat. >>> and our live winter storm coverage would not p be complete without pat collins aped the snowstick. pat? >> well, i have animals wearing people hats. and i have people wearing animal hats, and what is going on out here? well, there's a stick at stake. i'm pat collins and the story is coming up. news4. >> and finally getting to use the stick with officially over two inches at the airpo

that weren't disclosed, so money for his daughter's wedding, and that's sort of what's roped maureen mcdonnell into this. >> you saw him on the road with romney, what was consider sense of him as a person, a politician, was there a big difference between public bob mcdonnell and private? >> so this is a stunning fall from grace. this is somebody who was on the vp short list, or at least the v.p. long list for mitt romney and he spent a lot of time on romney's plane. he flew, we did a lot of events in virginia, especially up to the close of election day. the mcdonnell we got to know in private, very, you know, he's an authentic guy, he very much enjoyed -- he and romney seemed to have a good rapport, his staff had a good rapport with reporters flying on the plane, but if they had known anything, knowing how romney's campaign was then, there's no way if they had knowledge of this they would have been so publicly close. >> kasie, thank you very much, appreciate it. >>> joining me now, karen finney, host of msnbc's "disrupt," and larry savato. they are not the only gop stars losing their lust and

denied a request to delay friday's arraignment hearing for former virginia governor bob mcdonnell and his wife, maureen. the mcdonnells are facing federal charges now accused of accepting illegal gifts, vacations, large loans from businessman jonny williams who was indeed seeking special treatment from the state for his business. the mcdonnells deny any wrongdoing and say the loans and gifts were legal. the couple's legal team requested that friday's hearing be delayed because after scheduling conflict with one of the attorneys. >>> it is 5:06. good morning if you're just waking up. jessica doyle joins us live from the newsroom with headlines on your money. mixed day yesterday. >> yes, definitely but we'll have to see if a deal can help spire up stocks today. this was just noangsed. inova has growed to buy part of i.b.m.'s service. breaking news for wall street today. however, outside of that, they seem to be muddling along with this pattern that's been started since the new year of the investors wondering if companies can increase revenue, rather than just keep cutting copses in order to raise their p

maureen mcdonnell said this. bob is screaming about the thousands i'm charging in credit card debt. we are broke. we have an unconscionable amount in credit card debt and this inaugural is killing us. that's where this whole thing started. maureen donnell needed a dress for the inauguration and reached out to a wealthy donor for help. from what you have seen of this indictment, is it unfair to suggestion that this wife was her husband's undoing? >> i don't think that that is an unfair inference. i read this 43-page indictment and it is full of all these kinds of details. what is interesting to me the gifts made by the governor's wife and not necessarily by the governor. that is going to be important because we know she was not a government official. she was not the governor. she was the governor's wife. if the defense and we know that they have two defense attorneys, but if the defense in this is mrs. mcdonnell did a lot of these things and her husband didn't know anything about it, i think that's a pretty significant defense that would resonate with the jury. how many husbands on t

former governor governor bob mcdonnell and his wife maureen are facing potentially decades in jail forcharges. they're all related to this man, johnny williams, a richmond-based businessman, who served as the ceo of star scientific, a former cigarette manufacturer that now sells tobacco-based dietary supplements. federal authorities allege the former governor and physicfirst accepted $154,000 in cash and gift ranging from golf equipment to private plane rides. the list includes shopping sprees for maureen at oscar de la renta, 15 grand in catering for the couple's daughter's wedding, family vacations at williams' summer home and a $6,500 rolex engraved watch, engraved with 71st governor of virginia. in return, mcdonnell is accused of using the power of his office to help the struggling star scientific by attending several events to boost the company's credibility. officials say he even used the governor's mansion for a launch party for a pill, not approved by the fda. however, mcdonnell denies any wrongdoing. >> while i deeply regret accepting the legal gifts and loans from mr. william

big story of the day, if virginia former governor bob -- virginia former governor bob mcdonnell and his wife maureen were both indicted on corruption charges today. the mcdonnells were charged with accepting illegal gifts, luxury vacations and large loans from a businessman who was seeking special treatment from the state. prosecutors say the gifts and loans from richmond area businessman jonnie williams amounted to at least $165,000. mcdonnells denied wrongdoing in a press conference today. >> i come before you this evening as someone who has been falsely and wrongfully accused and his public service has been wrongfully attacked. while i deeply regret accepting these legal gifts and loans from mr. williams, all of these now have been returned or repaid with interest. >> prosecutors say the mcdonnells worked to lend the prestige of the governor's office to help jonnie williams' struggling firm which sold dietary is up mentales. mcdonnell is the first -- supplements. mcdonnell is the first virginia governor ever to face criminal charges. the state legislature should move to close any of the gray area

maureen mcdonnell conveys through her lawyers that she feels this whole legal quandary is her fault.he does not admit to a crime necessarily, but she conveys to prosecutors would they be interested in resolving this matter through her and leaving her husband alone. was there a way for her to take responsibility and spare her husband any charges? she was going through a pretty emotional time and felt she had brought her husband down. at least according to the people we have interviewed. several months later as the prosecutor moved to bring the charges and tell the government --the governor and his wife that they are going to seek an indictment from grand jury that has been meeting secretly. they make a last-minute offer to the governor and say if he were to plead guilty to one felony, they would spare his wife and he rejects it. host: and he rejected it why? guest: we do not know what is going on specifically inside his mind. that he didongly nothing illegal. he feels strongly he took a lot of largess from a friend who was trying to help him and that he would have done the same things

so both governor mcdonnell and maureen plimmed not guilty. -- pleaded not guilty. they stood in the next hearing. is name escapes me, they pleaded not guilty. afterward, they came outside, no comments were made. they got into a car through this crew of media, photographers, press, from around the world. the trial is going to be in july, jump 28th. now, going over this case, again, it's a 14 count federal indictment on corruption charges, the governor and maureen are accused of working together to lavish themselves with gifts and money and loans, $165,000 worth from wealthy businessman, john any williams, who was the ceo of star scientific. now make ink nutritional -- makeing nutrition at plummets. the government selves the couple tried to help this company out, d in return, received all much these gifts and money, trips of the, trips to new york, down -- the ambulance is going by, but all of these allegations will have to be proved from court. of course, the defense is that 67 -- they do this all the time, and mcdonnell has been saying for months that he is innocen

let me show you video of bob mcdonnell and his wife maureen arriving at the federal courthouse in richmond earlier this morning for the bond hearing, which is where they appeared first. the judge in that courtroom did release them on their own recognizance this morning, and they immediately went upstairs in the federal courthouse there to appear for their arraignment on federal charges. we learned on tuesday that they were being charged with 14 different counts results from $165,000 in gifts and loans they received from a wealthy businessman there in the richmond area. mcdonnell saying repeatedly over the last year or so that nothing inappropriate was done on his part. and so, now they're facing their arraignment. our julie carry is in the courtroom, and she'll have the results on both of the hearings for the mcdonnells this morning. that's the latest, barbara. back to you. >> all right. thank you. >>> back to cold weather and the wind chill that's making conditions worse. storm team4 meteorologist amelia segal is in for tom kierein, and she joins us with the first forecast for midday. goo