Former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell, taking the stand in his own defense Wednesday against federal corruption charges, said his wife, Maureen, seemed uneasy about their new life from his very first day as governor-elect.
Under questioning by his attorney, McDonnell described waking up on Election Day at a hotel 'still running on adrenaline' from his victory the night before. But, he said, his wife did not seem to share his feelings.
'I could tell she was not as happy as I was,' he said.
'She was yelling at me about something,' he said, suggesting it might have been about what she was going to wear.
McDonnell (R) testified that his wife had worked hard for his election and supported the campaign. But, he added: 'I could sense some tension about the impending role she was going to face as first lady.'
The portrayal of his wife as stressed by their rise to the top of Virginia politics marked Robert McDonnell's first courtroom utterances as he makes his own case against charges that he sold the credibility of his office for a string of loans, vacations, golf outings and luxury goods.
After two weeks of testimony from almost four dozen government witnesses, the one-time prosecutor, state delegate and Virginia attorney general is now making the pitch of his life in a Richmond courtroom.
Avoiding conviction, and potentially salvaging something from the legacy of a 22-year career in public service, may come down to his personal ability to convince jurors that he is an honest public servant who never promised - or gave - anything in exchange for more than $170,000 worth of gifts from a Richmond businessman.
Star Scientific founder Jonnie R. Williams Sr. has testified that he showered the McDonnells with largesse so they would help promote a supplement created by his company, Star Scientific. The couple is battling a 14-count indictment that alleges they lent the prestige of the governor's office to Williams' product.
Even more complicated, legal analysts say, is McDonnell's need to portray his wife as the one who brokered the many lavish offerings from Williams without appearing to blame her simply to exonerate himself.
Maureen McDonnell, who has taken meticulous notes throughout the proceedings, seems to be looking up now - at one point, she brushed her hair out of her face. At least twice, in telling stories that mentioned her, McDonnell gestured toward his wife.
Jurors are staring intently at the governor - seemingly unmoved by the steady string of reporters entering and leaving the courtroom to file updates on McDonnell's testimony
The former governor took the stand on the third day of defense testimony, after prosecutors and witnesses sparred over the state of the governor's family finances and mental state of his wife, who is also charged.
A management consultant brought in to ease tensions between the first lady and the staff of the executive mansion described a situation so chaotic that he recommended to the governor that his wife seek counseling and even that she move out of the mansion entirely. The consultant, James Burke, director of the Performance Management Group at Virginia Commonwealth University, said he thought the first lady was suffering from 'anxiety' and 'possibly depression.'
Burke said he and another consultant floated the possibility that Maureen McDonnell move back to the McDonnells' private residence to ease the conflicts.
Burke also suggested in a February 2012 meeting that Maureen McDonnell receive counseling. Under cross-examination from Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Dry, Burke said the meeting with the governor was set up to discuss the first lady's anxiety and how it was affecting her staff.
The governor did not seem inclined to accept his recommendation for counseling, Burke testified, instead saying it was his own lack of time with his wife that was causing her stress.
'He listened. He heard that,' Burke said. 'But he said he needed to take responsibility for a problem he caused.'
Dry also asked Burke whether Maureen McDonnell ever mentioned Williams in all their talks.
'I'm happy to say, she did not,' Burke replied.
'Did she ever discuss a crush or romantic feelings for any other man, other than her husband?' he asked.
'Never,' Burke answered.
Portraying the first lady as having a crush on Williams is central to the defense strategy. Attorneys are trying to show that she was infatuated with the businessman at a time when her own marriage was so strained that she and her husband barely spoke and, therefore, were unlikely to cooperate in a conspiracy to sell influence.
Prosecutors sought further to undercut that notion by displaying an e-mail exchange between Maureen McDonnell and the VCU consultant as she prepared to give a speech. The first lady was apparently anxious about the occasion but motivated to speak by her husband.
'I really wouldn't be doing this for anyone else but that man of mine :)' Maureen McDonnell wrote.
'Ah, love. It's a wonderful thing!' the consultant responded.
Earlier in the day, prosecutors tried to poke holes in a defense accounting expert's claims that the McDonnells were financially sound. The government has argued that the need for money was a key reason the pair sought loans from Williams.
In testimony Tuesday and early Wednesday, accountant J. Allen Kosowsky had said the couple's credit card debt, which had been above $90,000, had been whittled down to below $60,000, that the governor's credit rating was sound and that he was contributing healthy amounts to his retirement accounts.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Faulconer pushed back on several of those points. Under cross-examination, Kosowsky acknowledged that the first family shifted balances between credit cards to avoid high interest rates. And that it was actually a $50,000 loan from Williams that allowed them to pay down some of that debt.
Laura Vozzella and Robert Samuels contributed to this report.
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