A star witness in the corruption trial against former Virginia governor Robert McDonnell and his wife denied allegations of an affair with the latter during a hearing on Thursday.

Jonnie Willaims, former CEO of nutraceutical company Star Scientific Inc, told the jury on Thursday that while he had acceded to some of the couples' lavish requests, he maintained a strictly professional relationship with them.

Like Us on Facebook

When asked if he had an affair with McDonnell's wife, Maureen, he said no and denied any form of romantic relationship with her.

He said his deliberate association with the ex-governor's family was purely borne out of his interest for his company, adding that the McDonnells were not his personal friends.

Last Tuesday, the couple's lawyer, William Burck, alluded that Maureen had romantic feelings toward Williams and developed a "crush" because she suffered from a broken marriage.

During the hearing, Williams also testified that he had bought a Rolex watch for Maureen after she had admired his piece and asked her if she wanted him to get her one.

Maureen reportedly gave the Rolex to her husband the following Christmas with an engraving that read, "Robert F. McDonnell, 71^st Governor of Virginia."

The Rolex, reported to have cost more than US$6,000, was presented to the court and passed to the jury for inspection. The watch is just one of the few tangible pieces of evidence that belongs to a chunk of at least US$165,000 worth of loans and gifts that the couple received from Williams, according to the Associated Press.

Williams also testified that he had talked with McDonnell about the possibility of transferring some of his company's stocks in the governor's name so the latter could use it to acquire a loan to help finance his property investments.

Williams said he asked McDonnell to keep the transaction secret. The governor agreed.

In the end, the former CEO decided against the transfer, citing difficulties with the legality of the procedure. Instead, Williams had took out a US$50,000 loan intended for McDonnell, prosecutors said.

TagsRobert McDonnell, Bob McDonnell, Maureen McDonnell, Jonnie Williams, Star Scientific, Corruption Trial, Virginia governor, William Burck, McDonnell Corruption Trial, US crime, US law