RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The woman who served as chief of staff to Virginia's former first lady says she never saw any hint of a romantic relationship between her boss and a wealthy businessman.
Mary-Shea Sutherland testified Wednesday in the public corruption trial of former Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen. They are charged in a 14-count indictment with accepting more than $165,000 in gifts and secret loans from former Star Scientific Inc. CEO Jonnie Williams in exchange for promoting his company's dietary supplements.
Defense attorneys have said Maureen McDonnell developed a crush on Williams as her marriage was crumbling. Sutherland said she saw no signs of that.
To the contrary, she said, the McDonnells still seemed to be in love. She described a "lovely" Valentine's Day poem McDonnell wrote his wife.
