Bob McDonnell, and the perils of being famous but not rich

The former governor is accused of corruption. It's not hard to see why he might have been tempted.

McDonnell
(Image credit: (Alex Wong/Getty Images))

"We are broke," confessed former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's wife Maureen in an email to his staff, and "have an unconscionable amount in credit card debt."

Let's assume for the sake of argument that this is true. Does it exonerate the McDonnells from the very-serous allegations of accepting gifts in return for using the governor's office to dish out special treatment? Of course not. And yet... it might serve as at least a partial explanation as to why someone who seemed to be a rising star in politics would risk throwing it all away.

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Matt K. Lewis

Matt K. Lewis is a contributing editor at TheWeek.com and a senior contributor for The Daily Caller. He has written for outlets including GQ Politics, The Guardian, and Politico, and has been cited or quoted by outlets including New York Magazine, the Washington Post, and The New York Times. Matt co-hosts The DMZ on Bloggingheads.TV, and also hosts his own podcast. In 2011, Business Insider listed him as one of the 50 "Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." And in 2012, the American Conservative Union honored Matt as their CPAC "Blogger of the Year." He currently lives in Alexandria, Va.