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Former VA Governor and Wife, Free on Own Recognizance

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP)- Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, have been released on their own recognizance in their federal corruption case.
 
U.S. Magistrate Judge David Novak on Friday also ordered the McDonnells not to leave the country. The former governor's lawyer says the couple already have surrendered their passports.
 
The former Republican governor and his wife were indicted on 14 counts Tuesday after a lengthy federal investigation of his relationship with a former CEO of a dietary supplement maker.
 
Federal prosecutors allege the McDonnells accepted more than $165,000 worth of loans and gifts from Jonnie Williams, the former head of Star Scientific Inc.
 
Prosecutors say that in return, the McDonnells improperly helped Williams promote his company's products.
 
McDonnell, once a rising star in the Republican Party, has denied criminal wrongdoing.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.