The U.S. Supreme Court issued a pair of major decisions on Monday: one striking down a Texas law restricting access to abortion, and another vacating the conviction on federal corruption charges of the former governor of Virginia, Robert McDonnell.
Less than an hour after the justices announced their abortion ruling, reactions flooded in from political leaders of all stripes—President Obama, Hillary Clinton, governors, dozens of members of Congress in both parties, even local councilmen and women weighed in on what was considered the Court’s biggest decision on reproductive rights in a quarter century.
And after the McDonnell ruling? Crickets.
The decision to throw out the ex-Republican governor’s conviction was arguably no less significant: It will have ramifications for numerous other politicians who have been investigated, charged, or found guilty of public corruption. By narrowly interpreting what constitutes bribery by a public official, the ruling is also likely to change the way prosecutors try to police graft across the country. The justices issued their decision unanimously—a rarity in a major case by the sharply divided court.
Yet hours after the ruling came out, just about the only statements from politicians—the very people most directly affected by the decision—came from those who were already out of the game. Eric Cantor, a fellow Virginian and the former House majority leader, tweeted that he was “pleased that a unanimous Supreme Court finally delivered justice” to his friend. McDonnell expressed his “heartfelt gratitude” at the decision, although federal prosecutors could still decide to seek a new trial against him.