Maureen McDonnell, wife of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), told Ann Romney that a drug from the company run by the man she and her husband are accused of taking bribes from could help cure her multiple sclerosis, McDonnell’s former campaign manager Phil Cox testified on Monday.
Anatabloc, the drug that McDonnell allegedly recommended to Romney, is a dietary supplement that helps reduce inflammation, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Federal authorities have charged the McDonnells with 14 counts of corruption and bribery for taking $165,000 in gifts and loans from Jonnie Williams, the former CEO of the company Star Scientific. While prosecutors say the McDonnells received the gifts in exchange for promoting Star Scientific, defense attorneys for the McDonnells have argued that Maureen had a crush on Williams and accepted gifts because she craved attention.
Earlier this year, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) wrote McDonnell a $10,000 check for his legal defense.
“Governor McDonnell became a true and trusted friend and ally through the good times and the bad times in the last campaign," Ron Kaufman, a Romney friend and adviser, told The Washington Post in April. "He did a great job running the RGA, he did a great job running Virginia and Mitt has a very special place in his heart for Governor McDonnell. He wanted to help him at a time when he needed help, just as Governor McDonnell would do for Mitt if he needed help.”
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