After nearly three years of absence, former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has rejoined Twitter.
His first official statements, in which he thanked his supporters, were greeted by well-wishers and detractors alike.
My name is Bob McDonnell and I am back on Twitter!
— Bob McDonnell (@BobMcDonnell) September 22, 2016
McDonnell’s last public activity on the Twitter feed was a retweet of current Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Jan. 8, 2014, in which he thanked God for “making me a Virginian.”
McDonnell’s step back into social media comes after a legal ordeal that began in 2014 during which he and his wife, Maureen, were found guilty of federal corruption charges and sentenced to prison. After a lengthy appeals process, the convictions were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in June.