Case 3:14-cr-00012-JRS Document 582 Filed 12/23/14 Page 1 of 60 PageID# 16410 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA RICHMOND DIVISION UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ) ) v. ) CRIMINAL NO. 3:14-CR-00012 ) ROBERT F. MCDONNELL ) JUDGE JAMES R. SPENCER MAUREEN G. MCDONNELL ) DEFENDANT ROBERT F. MCDONNELL’S SENTENCING MEMORANDUM Case 3:14-cr-00012-JRS Document 582 Filed 12/23/14 Page 2 of 60 PageID# 16411 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 1 BOB MCDONNELL’S BACKGROUND .................................................................................... 1 A. Early Years (1954 – 1976) ..................................................................................... 1 B. Military Service (1976 – 1997) .............................................................................. 3 C. Early Career (1980 – 1991) .................................................................................... 4 D. Virginia House of Delegates & Law Practice (1992 – 2005) ................................ 6 E. Attorney General (2006 – 2009) ............................................................................ 8 F. Governor (2010 – 2014)....................................................................................... 11 G. Personal & Family Life ........................................................................................ 18 ARGUMENT ............................................................................................................................... 20 I. THE PROPER SENTENCING GUIDELINES RANGE IS 33 TO 41 MONTHS ......... 20 II. APPLICATION OF THE 18 U.S.C. § 3553 FACTORS COMPEL A VARIANT SENTENCE ..................................................................................................................... 21 A. Bob McDonnell’s history and characteristics support a sentence well below the Guidelines range .................................................................................. 21 1. Exceptional character ............................................................................... 22 2. A lifetime of public service...................................................................... 25 3. Strong family bonds ................................................................................. 26 4. Mercy to others ........................................................................................ 28 B. The nature and circumstances of the offense compel a below-Guidelines sentence ................................................................................................................ 29 C. Mr. McDonnell’s trial and conviction act as powerful deterrents to criminal conduct................................................................................................... 32 D. A prison sentence is not needed to protect the public from further crimes by Mr. McDonnell ............................................................................................... 35 E. A sentence far below the Guidelines range is needed to avoid unwarranted disparities ............................................................................................................. 36 F. A prison sentence would heighten the disparate treatment of Mr. McDonnell and his alleged co-conspirator Mr. Williams .................................... 40 G. A non-incarcerative sentence would be a just punishment for Mr. McDonnell’s offense ............................................................................................ 40 H. A sentence based on the Guideline § 2B1.1 loss table would be unjust in this case ................................................................................................................ 42 Case 3:14-cr-00012-JRS Document 582 Filed 12/23/14 Page 3 of 60 PageID# 16412 I. An alternative sentence of rigorous community service is sufficient, but not greater than necessary, to fulfill the statutory goals ...................................... 45 ii Case 3:14-cr-00012-JRS Document 582 Filed 12/23/14 Page 4 of 60 PageID# 16413 TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Page CASES Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38 (2007) .............................................................................................................21, 45 Kimbrough v. United States, 552 U.S. 85 (2007) ...................................................................................................................21 Koon v. United States, 518 U.S. 81 (1996) ...................................................................................................................29 Rita v. United States, 551 U.S. 338 (2007) ...........................................................................................................21, 25 United States v. Adelson, 441 F. Supp. 2d 506 (S.D.N.Y. 2006)..........................................................................25, 33, 34 United States v. Anderson, 533 F.3d 623 (8th Cir. 2008) ...................................................................................................33 United States v. Argo, No. 07-CR-683 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 28, 2008) ................................................................................40 United States v. Autery, 555 F.3d 864 (9th Cir. 2009) ...................................................................................................21 United States v. Benkahla, 501 F. Supp. 2d 748 (E.D. Va. 2007) ................................................................................22, 27 United States v. Carmona-Rodriguez, No. 04-CR-667, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6254 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 11, 2005) ...............................35 United States v. Carter, 538 F.3d 784 (7th Cir. 2008) ...................................................................................................35 United States v. Cherry, 366 F. Supp. 2d 372 (E.D. Va. 2005) ......................................................................................23 United States v. Cooper, 394 F.3d 172 (3d Cir. 2005).....................................................................................................22 iii Case 3:14-cr-00012-JRS Document 582 Filed 12/23/14 Page 5 of 60 PageID# 16414 United States v. Coughlin, No. 06-CR-20005, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11263 (W.D. Ark. Feb. 1, 2008) .........................47 United States v. Edwards, 303 F.3d 606 (5th Cir. 2002) ...................................................................................................37 United States v. Edwards, 595 F.3d 1004 (9th Cir. 2010) .................................................................................................33 United States v. Hamilton, No. 3:11-CR-00013 (E.D. Va. Nov. 22, 2011) ........................................................................38 United States v. Harding, No. 05-CR-1285-02, 2006 WL 2850261 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 28, 2006) ......................................27 United States v. Howe, 543 F.3d 128 (3d Cir. 2008)...............................................................................................23, 25 United States v. Hutcherson, No. 6:05-cr-00039 (W.D. Va. Dec. Aug. 30, 2006) ................................................................48 United States v. Jefferson, No. 1:07-CR-00209 (E.D. Va. Nov. 13, 2009) ........................................................................37 United States v. Litvak, No. 3:13-CR-00019-JCH (D. Conn.) .......................................................................................44 United States v. Lukens, No. 1:95-CR-00041 (D.D.C. June 29, 1996) ...........................................................................37 United States v. Morales, 972 F.2d 1007 (9th Cir. 1992) .................................................................................................22 United States v. Myers, 353 F. Supp. 2d 1026 (S.D. Iowa 2005) ..................................................................................27 United States v. Nellum, No. 2:04-CR-30, 2005 BL 88941 (N.D. Ind. Feb. 3, 2005) .....................................................27 United States v. Ney, No. 1:06-CR-00272 (D.D.C. Oct. 13, 2006) ............................................................................37 United States v. Pauley, 511 F.3d 468 (4th Cir. 2007) ...................................................................................................32 iv Case 3:14-cr-00012-JRS Document 582 Filed 12/23/14 Page 6 of 60 PageID# 16415 United States v. Prosperi, No. 1:06-CR-10116 (D. Mass. May 25, 2010) ........................................................................47 United States v. Prosperi, 686 F.3d 32 (1st Cir. 2012) ......................................................................................................47 United States v. Ranum, 353 F. Supp. 2d 984 (E.D. Wis. 2005) .....................................................................................23 United States v. Renzi, No. 4:08-CR-00212 (D. Ariz. Oct. 28, 2013) ..........................................................................37 United States v. Rivernider, No. 3:10-CR-222-RNC (D. Conn.) ..........................................................................................44 United States v. Sachakov, No. 11-CR-120, 2013 WL 101287 (E.D.N.Y. Jan. 8, 2013) ...................................................33 United States v. Stewart, 590 F.3d 93 (2d Cir. 2009).................................................................................................33, 42 United States v.