Former Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell was sentenced to two years in federal prison today after being convicted by a jury on one count of conspiracy to commit honest-services wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to obtain property under color of official right.  Those are public corruption charges which include bribery.

McDonnell isn’t the first prominent politician to be sent to prison for corruption in recent history.  

The crimes McDonnell committed are fairly well explained in the press release put out by Dana Boente, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

A substantial part of McDonnell’s defense for his actions was based on his erroneous and arrogant belief that accepting bribes and gratuities in return for promoting a Virginia business is acceptable because it is “politics as usual.”

Commenting on McDonnell’s corruption, Assistant Attorney General (Criminal Division) Leslie Caldwell said, “Robert McDonnell corrupted the most powerful office in Virginia and fractured the public’s trust.   Taking bribes in exchange for official actions is not politics as usual—it is an insidious crime that strikes at the heart of public service and will not be tolerated.”

Well, maybe it won’t be tolerated in the Eastern District of Virginia and most other federal judicial districts.

But here we have Idaho.