Understanding The Supreme Court’s McDonnell Decision

A unanimous Supreme Court yesterday overturned the federal bribery conviction of former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell.  The decision set off a firestorm of a debate about whether the Court had effectively gutted the federal government’s ability to prosecute elected officials for excepting gifts in exchange for doing favors.  For interested readers, SCOTUSblog has an online symposium featuring thoughtful commentary, pro and con, on the decision.