Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell must report to federal prison Feb. 9 despite his appeal, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Judge James Spencer denied the request by McDonnell's attorneys for him to remain free during the appeal. McDonnell will have to report to prison on the date set during his sentencing hearing earlier this month.
McDonnell was sentenced Jan. 6 to two years in prison, several months after he and his wife, Maureen, were found guilty of taking more than $165,000 in gifts, trips and loans from a wealthy vitamin executive in exchange for promoting his products.
The former governor's notice of appeal was filed late Tuesday afternoon.
In a court filing late Monday, his attorneys said the appeal process could take almost as long as his two-year prison sentence itself.
They argued that McDonnell would be deprived of a meaningful appeal if required to serve the bulk of his sentence before it's resolved. They say the appeal will raise substantial questions, including whether the government's interpretation of an "official act'' is correct.
Prosecutors argued that Bob McDonnell hadn't made a compelling case for granting his request for bail pending appeal.
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