Despite Gifts Scandal, McDonnell Says He'll Finish Term as Virginia Governor

Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R), appearing Tuesday at a Fairfax County event to highlight efforts by the technology sector to employ veterans, deflected a host of reporters’ questions about the scandal that has consumed the waning days of his tenure.

 
But McDonnell, a day after his attorneys met with federal prosecutors to argue against filing legal charges related to gifts and money he and his family received from a political donor, said he intends to serve out the rest of his term.
 
“I’m going to be governor of Virginia for another ­4½ months,” McDonnell told reporters before listing several current initiatives of his administration, including preparing a budget, advancing regulatory reform and helping former prisoners reenter society. “That’s my focus, as it has been for the past 31 /2 years.”
 
McDonnell’s legal team spent nearly two hours Monday with federal prosecutors in Alexandria, hoping to head off charges against him related to thousands of dollars in gifts and loans from Star Scientific chief executive Jonnie R. Williams Sr. A separate team representing first lady Maureen McDonnell also met with prosecutors. Afterward, people familiar with the meetings said prosecutors were still weighing their options.