McDonnell v. United States - Post-Decision SCOTUScast
SCOTUScast 7-12-16 featuring Gregory G. Katsas
On June 27, 2016, the Supreme Court decided McDonnell v. United States. Robert F. McDonnell, former Governor of Virginia, was convicted in a jury trial of eleven counts of corruption. During the trial prosecutors sought to prove that McDonnell and his wife Maureen, while he was Governor, accepted money and lavish gifts in exchange for efforts to assist a Virginia company in securing state university testing of a dietary supplement the company had developed. The McDonnells, prosecutors argued, took “official action” on behalf of the company in exchange for money, campaign contributions, or other things of value, in violation of various federal statutes. Robert McDonnell was sentenced to two years in prison. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed McDonnell’s conviction, but the U.S. Supreme Court granted his request to remain out of prison pending resolution of his case.
The question before the Supreme Court was whether “official action” under the controlling fraud statutes is limited to exercising actual governmental power, threatening to exercise such power, or pressuring others to exercise such power, and whether the jury must be so instructed; or, if not so limited, whether the Hobbs Act and honest-services fraud statute are unconstitutional.
By a vote of 8-0, the Supreme Court vacated the judgment of the Fourth Circuit and remanded the case. Chief Justice Roberts delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court, holding that “an official act' is a decision or action on a 'question, matter, cause, suit, proceeding or controversy.' The 'question, matter, cause, suit, proceeding or controversy' must involve a formal exercise of governmental power that is similar in nature to a lawsuit before a court, a determination before an agency, or a hearing before a committee. It must also be something specific and focused that is 'pending' or 'may by law be brought' before a public official. To qualify as an 'official act,' the public official must make a decision or take an action on that 'question, matter, cause, suit, proceeding or controversy,' or agree to do so.” Given that the lower courts applied too broad an interpretation of the term “official act,” the Chief Justice explained, the jury instructions were erroneous and it may have convicted Governor McDonnell for conduct that was not unlawful. The Court therefore vacated his convictions and remanded the case for a determination as to whether there is sufficient evidence for a jury to convict Governor McDonnell of committing or agreeing to commit an “official act”--and thus allow for a new trial--or whether the charges against him must be dismissed.
To discuss the case, we have Gregory G. Katsas, who is Partner at Jones Day.
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