× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

Virginia Speaker of the House William J. Howell, R-Stafford, and Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr., R-James City, have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to dismiss the corruption case against former Gov. Bob McDonnell.

“Following last month’s unanimous decision by the United States Supreme Court reversing his conviction, we believe no prosecutable case now exists against Governor McDonnell,” they wrote in the July 22 letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, which the speaker’s office released to the media on Tuesday.

The letter continues, “Prosecuting Governor McDonnell again will unnecessarily disrupt the commonwealth, costing federal and state taxpayers a tremendous amount of money.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is asking the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to hold off acting on last month’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the case for 30 days so both sides can analyze it and discuss what steps to take next.

The three-page unopposed motion filed Thursday with the Richmond-based court proposes the parties either file a briefing schedule or update the court on the status of the discussions at the end of the 30 days. The prosecutors said the motion was being filed jointly.