A federal investigation into Virginia governor Bob McDonnell's accepting financial gifts from companies could lead to potential criminal charges against the Republican, the Washington Post reported Sunday.
Jonnie R. Williams—chief executive of Star Scientific, a dietary supplement company—gifted McDonnell and his family cash gifts totaling more than $120,000 since 2011, the Post reported.
Authorities are now investigating whether those gifts were part of a quid-pro-quo arrangement between Williams and McDonnell where the governor accepted the money in exchange for helping the company with Antabloc, a new dietary supplement, the paper reported.
Last week, McDonnell agreed to pay back the loans from Star Scientific, saying that he was, "deeply sorry for the embarrassment certain members of my family and I brought upon my beloved Virginia and her citizens."
After receiving the gifts, McDonnell set up a meeting between Williams and Virginia's secretary of health to discuss Andabloc; Maureen McDonnell, the first lady, hosted a lunch attended by her husband to celebrate the release of the drug at the governor's mansion, the paper reported.