Corruption and Resignation Rumors Dog Virginia Governor

Not good news for his career

Over the Fourth of July weekend, rumors broke on the conservative blog Bearing Drift that McDonnell would soon resign as part of a plea bargain over potential corruption charges. The FBI and the state are reportedly investigating McDonnell's gift-filled relationship with Jonnie Williams, the CEO of dietary supplement company Star Scientific. Williams' company is the subject of a separate federal investigation.

McDonnell publicly dismissed those claims on Monday, calling them "really bad rumors."

So did his spokesman.

Pundits, too, called a McDonnell resignation unthinkable.

As if that wasn't bad enough, on Tuesday, the Washington Post dealt perhaps the heaviest single blow to McDonnell yet, reporting $120,000 more in undisclosed gifts from Williams to McDonnell and his wife, Maureen.