text: Disgraced former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell made his final written plea to a federal appeals court Wednesday, arguing that the favors he did for a wealthy businessman were routine courtesies and not part of a bribery scheme. The onetime rising Republican star made the argument in a 54-page brief in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A three-judge panel of the court will conduct a hearing on his appeal of his public corruption convictions on May 12. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS . Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell fought back tears outside a federal court building after he was sentenced for selling the influence of his office to the CEO of a dietary supplements company . McDonnell was sentenced to two years in federal prison for public corruption . McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, were convicted in a joint trial in September of accepting more than $165,000 in gifts and loans from former Star Scientific Inc. CEO Jonnie Williams in exchange for promoting his company's nutritional supplements. Bob McDonnell was sentenced to two years in prison and his wife to one year and one day, but they remain free while they pursue separate appeals. 'Governor McDonnell never promised anything and never did anything besides extend to Williams the sorts of routine courtesies elected officials throughout the country extend to donors and benefactors every day,' McDonnell's lawyers wrote in the latest filing. They were responding to the government's brief urging the court to uphold the criminal convictions. Former first lady Maureen McDonnell, left, was sentenced to a year and a day . Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams testified under an immunity deal, admitting that he paid the governor with lavish perks in exchange for helping him secure university backing for his 'miracle cure' Anatabloc product . Prosecutors had written in a 93-page submission to the court that McDonnell's actions fit the definition of 'official acts' even better than those taken by former Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson, who is serving 13 years in prison for taking bribes in exchange for using his influence to broker business deals with government leaders in Africa. Jefferson was famously caught with $100,000 in bribe money hidden in his freezer. 'Here, defendant directed his action toward subordinate state employees within the branch of government that he controlled as governor,' they wrote, while in the Jefferson case 'a congressman took action through meetings, letters, and the like directed at other government agencies or foreign governments.' One of McDonnell's chief claims on appeal is that the favors he did for Williams did not amount to 'official acts' covered by federal bribery law. In the new filing, he argues that a meeting McDonnell arranged for Williams with an administration official was 'innocuous' and that there was nothing special about an event at the Executive Mansion to launch Star's signature product, the anti-inflammatory Anatabloc. 'Governor McDonnell arrived late, made neutral comments, and left. He never asked anyone to do anything for Williams,' the brief says. Star Scientific, the maker of Anatabloc, the anti-inflammatory supplement at the center of the McDonnell trial, halted sales of the product in August 2014 . Worse than the freezer bribes? Prosecutors argue McDonnell's behavior was a better fit with bribery laws than that of convicted former congressman William Jefferson, who his $100,000 of his bribe cash in his freezer . McDonnell argues that in addition to mischaracterizing such events as 'official acts,' the government incorrectly suggested that McDonnell kept his staff in the dark about most of Williams' gifts. Among the gifts were almost $20,000 worth of designer clothing and accessories for Maureen McDonnell, vacations, golf outings and $15,000 for a daughter's wedding. The former governor also renewed claims that the judge improperly denied separate trials for Bob and Maureen McDonnell and that he failed to adequately question jurors about pretrial news coverage. Williams, who was seeking state-financed research on Anatabloc while lavishing the McDonnells with gifts and loans, testified under immunity for the prosecution.
target: Bob McDonnell used his office to benefit a nutritional supplement company whose president lavished gifts on him and his wife .
  His lawyers argue that he never performed any 'official acts' for Star Scientific, a company that sought support for his 'Anatabloc' supplement .
  McDonnell was sentenced to two years in prison and his wife got one year and one day; they're both free pending appeals .
  Three-judge federal court panel will hear the former governor's appeal on May 12 .