The truth is that McDonnell’s case is not an easy one even for many committed advocates of political reform. One can wholeheartedly reject the suggestion that his actions were nothing more than “ordinary politics” entitled to First Amendment protection, while still being uneasy about use of the heavy hammer of criminal bribery laws to police norms of official conduct. Arguably everyone involved in this case (including the McDonnells) would have been better served by a system of clear, bright-line limits on both campaign contributions and personal gifts to elected officials and their families.

At the end of the day, though, those safeguards only work if the broader political culture accepts their legitimacy. The public is clearly troubled by the sort of self-dealing such rules aim to prevent; too many elites seem to feel differently. One way or another, this disconnect will have to be addressed if we are to have any hope of restoring confidence in the integrity of our political system.