What’s politics without a scandal or two? Throughout our history, America has endured many different political scandals.
However, over time these scandals have had an impact on public trust of and confidence in the government and its officials. Beginning in the 1960s with the Vietnam War and the early 1970s with Watergate and the resignation of President Richard Nixon, public trust of the government has declined. Now, many people claim that our government is lead by a select few, instead of a democracy. According to the Huffington Post, a study performed by Pew Research Center in 2010 found that 8 out of 10 Americans do not trust the government.
Restoring the trust of the people will take time and greater emphasis on ethical behavior by those entrusted to lead our government.
Recent events have been no help to building more trust of the government. The public has been bombarded with stories about politicians and government officials who take advantage of their position and power. Stories like these cause many constituents around the country to distrust government officials.
One of the most recent political scandals involves former governor Robert McDonnell (R-VA), who served as the governor of Virginia from 2010 until earlier this year.
McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, were accused of accepting lavish gifts from Jonnie Williams, the former CEO of Star Scientific, Inc., in exchange for the promise to promote certain products of Star Scientific, Inc. Governor McDonnell was convicted of 11 counts of federal corruption and his wife with nine counts.
Over the course of the grueling trial, McDonnell and his family had to endure the embarrassment of having many aspects of their private life exposed. At the center of the trial was the couple’s marriage. The defense painted the former governor and his wife’s marriage as broken and both living separate lives. Words used to describe Maureen were "erratic, unstable, and flirtatious." It was also rumored that Williams and Maureen were more than just friends. While there may have been inappropriate flirting, it was never proven that it went any further. A key piece of tangible evidence in the trial was a Rolex watch valued at $6,500.
The watch was given to the former governor as a Christmas gift by his wife. Many would think that it was a very thoughtful gift; however, testimony showed that the watch was originally given to the wife by Williams. Other items that were gifted to the couple by Williams included free catering for one of their daughter’s wedding, loans, clothing, vacations and that's to just name a few.
Williams played a key role in the trial. He testified for the prosecution in return for his own immunity. Williams admitted that he did provide gifts to the governor and his wife in exchange for promotion of his company’s products, which included dietary supplements.
After three days of deliberations by the jury, the verdict was read. Guilty.
Instantly, deep sobs eroded from the family. His actions have not only affected the rest of his life, but also now have forever changed his children’s. Both McDonnell and Maureen plan to appeal. The couple is scheduled for sentencing January 6.
It is no surprise to many that politicians make deals under the radar for their own political and financial advancement. Many politicians are crafty enough to not get caught or actually touch the money. Sometimes the gifts that politicians receive are hard to track or find. However, McDonnell happened to wear one of the gifts he received, the Rolex watch.
During his term as governor, Virginia was one of the states with the least restrictive ethic laws in the country. Many hope that McDonnell’s verdict will bring to light the need for more stringent ethical laws for politicians and government officials. We are hopeful that the outcome of this trial can put more trust in the government and a change in ethic laws. Time will tell.
