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Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell had a surprisingly strong outing at the Supreme Court Wednesday, as majority of the court appeared to be leaning in the direction of overturning the corruption convictions a jury returned against him two years ago.

Two members of the court liberal wing - Justices Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan - expressed serious concerns that the government's stance could expose public officials to prosecution for all kinds of acts routinely performed for political donors. Breyer appeared particularly troubled that upholding the convictions would shift too much power to federal prosecutors.

With three conservative justices on the shorthanded court expressing similar worries, McDonnell seemed to stand a good chance of getting a ruling in his favor and avoiding the two-year prison sentence he is facing.

McDonnell was convicted on 11 corruption-related counts in 2014 after he and his wife took more than $175,000 in gifts and loans from a Virginia businessman seeking state studies of a tobacco-based dietary supplement. The government said McDonnell the largesse was part of a corrupt deal to advance the businessman's interests.

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