Romney donates $10K to McDonnell’s legal defense fund

Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has donated $10,000 to the legal defense fund of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), who is facing federal bribery charges stemming from gifts he accepted during his time in office.

A Romney aide told The Washington Post about the donation on Tuesday.

{mosads}McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, will face trial in late July. Prosecutors say the couple accepted cash, golf fees and clothing, among other gifts, from the chief executive of Star Scientific Inc., a dietary supplements maker.

The McDonnells are facing decades in prison, as well as fines that could total in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The trial, expected to last more than a month, is also expected to prove costly.

The former Virginia governor was a top surrogate for the Romney campaign and campaigned heavily for the former Massachusetts governor in southern primaries and swing states.

Romney has reemerged on the national stage in recent weeks, levying criticism at President Obama over his handling of the situation in Ukraine and planning his annual policy summit for this summer in Utah. The gathering is expected to draw top Republican presidential candidates, as well as some of the biggest-spending GOP donors who funded his presidential bid.