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Former Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, have filed motions asking Judge James R. Spencer for acquittal or a new trial.

A federal jury convicted the McDonnells of multiple corruption counts on Sept. 4. Spencer will sentence them Jan. 6.

In a 27-page motion filed in U.S. District Court, the former governor says the government “failed to show that Mr. McDonnell performed or promised to perform any ‘official act’ for Jonnie Williams as required to prove Counts 1-11,” the corruption charges on which the former governor was convicted. Williams was CEO of Star Scientific Inc., a maker of dietary supplements.

“In short, the government’s case failed at the starting gate: It put forth no evidence that Mr. McDonnell promised to engage in any specific ‘official act’ or course of action in exchange for payments.”

McDonnell’s lawyers say that “the most the government established, granting it the benefit of all reasonable inferences, is that Mr. McDonnell facilitated Mr. Williams’ access to certain government decision-makers so that Mr. Williams could attempt to persuade them to his cause. But as the Supreme Court has made clear, ‘ingratiation and access ... are not corruption.’ ”