RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - If prosecutors get their way, former Virginia first lady Maureen McDonnell could become the first modern-day governor's spouse sent to prison for felonies she was convicted of committing while she held the mostly ceremonial position.
McDonnell will be sentenced for public corruption Friday in federal court in Richmond. Prosecutors have recommended an 18-month sentence - six months less than former Gov. Bob McDonnell got last month when he was convicted. Maureen McDonnell's attorneys requested probation and 4,000 hours of community service.
According to scholars and research conducted by The Associated Press, no other first spouse has ever faced a possible prison term for a felony.
The McDonnells were convicted of doing favors for a wealthy vitamin executive in exchange for $165,000 in gifts and loans.
