WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously threw out the corruption conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, ruling he may have been convicted of conduct that isn't illegal.

The court, in an opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts, said the Justice Department's theory of the case and the instructions given to the jury were too broad and could potentially criminalize conduct that politicians engage in routinely.

Mr. McDonnell, a Republican, was indicted just days after he left office in January 2014. A jury that September found him guilty of 11 corruption-related counts, and a judge sentenced him to two years in prison, though he had remained free while the case was on appeal.

Prosecutors alleged the former governor and his wife, Maureen, secretly accepted more than $175,000 in gifts and loans from a wealthy local businessman who sought favorable government consideration for his dietary supplement company, Star Scientific. Ms. McDonnell was also convicted in the case.

Write to Brent Kendall at brent.kendall@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 27, 2016 11:15 ET (15:15 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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