Big Fat Story
John Edwards could potentially face charges of falsifying campaign reports if investigators show that $114,000 in payments from his political action committee, One America, to Rielle Hunter were illegitimate. One of the payments, a $14,000 chunk doled out to Hunter in April 2007, is drawing particular scrutiny, because Edwards' campaign paid One America a similar amount for furniture at about the same time. But Edwards might have some leeway: If the only issue is that the payments are suspiciously large, it might be difficult to go after him when he can claim his campaign was just lousy at negotiating. "The FEC has pretty broad allowances for arguing that a particular expenditure is for campaign purposes and not for personal purposes," Sheila Krumholz, the director of the Center for Responsive Politics, told The Daily Beast. "The question is whether it's believable. Wildly overpaying for something in this case really might be poor campaign management as opposed to something else."
Elizabeth Edwards has plenty of opinions about Rielle Hunter, just don't mention her name. The wife of the former vice-presidential nominee wrote an entire confessional book, Resilience, much of it dealing directly with her husband's affair, all without ever mentioning Hunter by name. She even went so far as to demand that news organizations not mention Hunter's name as a condition for interviewing her while she promoted the book. But even without using her name, Edwards shot plenty of venom Hunter's way. "You have to have enough respect for human beings to leave their lives alone," Edwards told Oprah Winfrey in an interview. "Don't just come in and try to take somebody else's life."
Fred Baron was a legendary Texas trial lawyer and Democratic financier, but in the John Edwards campaign office, he was known as "Uncle Fred." His friendship with the North Carolina senator was so deep, staffers and Edwards associates told The Daily Beast, that Baron would do anything to protect Edwards. That included, it turned out, paying to relocate Edwards' mistress Rielle Hunter and aide Andrew Young to California. The mystery behind what motivated Baron was only increased when he died in October 2008, following a battle with cancer. According to The National Enquirer, which broke the news of the Edwards affair, Baron may have paid both Hunter and Young thousands a month while he had them sequestered in California, hoping the distance would have preserved Edwards' reputation and the campaign's viability. Baron told The New York Times that he hooked Young and Hunter up with attorneys as well.
Will He Be Indicted?
As John Edwards’ former mistress, Rielle Hunter, testifies before a grand jury in the campaign payoff probe, The Daily Beast consults experts on how the feds could nail him.
Andrew Young, lifelong friend and longtime aide to John Edwards, has said that he is the father of Rielle Hunter's child. And then he said he wasn't. Last month, he sold a book to St. Martin's Press. His proposal for the project reversed his claim to paternity, saying that Edwards was actually the baby's daddy. He also claimed in his proposal that Edwards and Hunter made a sex tape. The Daily Beast's Sara Nelson broke the news of Young's book proposal, which reached publishers on June 15. Young told publishers he wanted to "set the record straight." One wonders what sort of record he provided the grand jury with during his appearance in Raleigh, North Carolina, last month.
Rielle Hunter, John Edwards' former mistress, appeared in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday to testify in front of a grand jury. Federal prosecutors are investigating whether money from the Edwards presidential campaign was used to keep Hunter quiet about her affair with the candidate. She worked on the campaign as a videographer and received $114,000 for her services. In a piece for Newsweek last summer, Jonathan Darman described Hunter as a New Age devotee and former New York party girl. Hunter said that when she first met Edwards, in a New York hotel bar, she found that he had special energy. She said she hoped to bring out the senator's true potential. Hunter made a number of Web-only films about Edwards, hoping to show a less buttoned-up image of the candidate during the campaign. Eventually she was fired. She moved in with Edwards aide Andrew Young and his family in California, and, when she gave birth to a child, moved out on her own. Her child is 18 months old.
Many questions still remain about John Edwards' affair with Rielle Hunter, not the least of which is whether the former vice-presidential nominee is in legal jeopardy over payments to Hunter's company. For his part, Edwards denies there was anything inappropriate about the $114,000 his campaign paid to Hunter for her services. In an interview with ABC, Edwards claimed the affair began before Edwards hired her.
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Really...If John Edwards is indicted before Bush and Cheney, there is no God.
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Right on!! Perfectly said in a nutshell in one sentence too! So agree.
What an ignorant comment. Just because someone else wasn't charged with a crime, pretty-boy should get off free?
baptox - "Really...If John Edwards is indicted before Bush and Cheney, there is no God."
Not really. Justice is rarely swift and rarely certain, and God is patient and willing to forgive, unlike most of us. I'd like to see all three in court if indeed they've broken the law.
And, admittedly, because I can't stand any of them.
I think one of them is a self-serving patriot whose zealotry turned him into a war criminal, one of them is an fortunate underachiever used by his political party to achieve the highest political power that ended up damaging his country and costing his party the power it craved - hence underachieving again, and one of them thinks too much of himself and is willing to break the law and his marriage oath to maintain that self-image. None of them are likable people.
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charles116 - "Since when is sleeping with ugly pigs an indictable crime?'
It's not, otherwise my wife would need a lawyer. In any case, all this noise is really about 'a federal grand jury is investigating whether Edwards misused campaign funds as hush money for Hunter.'
Even if he's innocent, I still dislike him. Too smarmy for me. Can that be a crime?
Bush never cheated on a wife who was battling cancer. He never fathered a child out of wedlock. (Apparently it's OK for John Edwards to do this but not Bristol Palin). Edwards is a sleazy lawyer who duped the democrats into believing he was something he was not. He coulsn't shine Bush's shoes.
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dogs, stop playing TROLL. It's unbecoming.
Troll! Why can't you at least be honest as to your affiliation?
Troll indeed. You must think the audience at TDB are so stupid that they can't remember what you've said from day to day. You haven't got a liberal bone in your body.
NO. HE DIDN'T. HE, ALONG WITH CHENEY AND RUMSFELD AND WOLFOWITZ ETC... JUST WILLFULLY AND KNOWINGLY HAD AMERICAN MEN AND WOMEN KILLED BECAUSE SADAM HUSSEIN PUT A HIT ON HIS DADDY, THAT FAILED. THEY SENT MEN AND WOMEN INTO HARM'S WAY WITHOUT PROPER EQUIPTMENT AND PROTECTIVE GEAR JUST TO GET THE JOB DONE. AND NOW THEY GET TO LIVE THEIR LIVES AND THEY ARE SAFE, ESPECIALLY CHENEY, THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF BARAK OBAMA, IN FROVIDING ADDITION SECURITY TO THAT BUM-FK CHENEY, WHO ONLY DESERVES TO SIT IN GITMO WITH HIS PRISONERS.
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well said january13a! Bravo!!! Although I do agree Edwards is a scumbag and I it is possible that Bush just did not get caught.
And people lets not forget even though Edwards is a scumbag all the repubs that claim nothing short of sainthood for their tireless efforts towards, god and family is what has raised my ire towards them and their self righteous behavior and trying to push on everyone else!
you mean like Newt? What a pillar of morality that man is.
Your right. The Dems have moral superiority. Ted Kennedy (left a young girl to die inhis car as he swam to safety, went to his hotel and went to sleep), Robert Byrd (Grand Kleagle of the Ku Klux Klan), Bill Clinton (getting oral sex numerous times in the Oval Office by a college intern), Barney Frank (his boyfriend ran a gay prostitution ring out of Frank's DC apartment), William Jefferson (convicted yesterday of bribery-caught by the FBI with $90 K in his office freezer), Elliot Spitzer (paid for high price hookers across state lines in violation of the Mann Act and local criminal laws), Jim McGreevy (appointed his lover {an Israeli poet who had no clearance) as head of NJ Homeland Security), and on and on.....................................
Score!!
Don't leave out Thomas Jefferson. Look what he did to Sally Hemmings. Admittedly he wasn't a democrat, but would have been and I bet more democrats are named Jefferson. And, he got a monument!
Although, all this denunciation of sex is unseemly. Stuffing money in your refrigerator is weird, but we all like sex. If I were in the White House, I'd certainly entertain the idea of a blow job, although maybe with an older woman. Twenty-five or so.
Edwards is a douche, from the alleged true love of his life; to his $400 haircut, to building the largest house in NC. He is a tort lawyer, who has helped send healthcare costs to the moon.(Not the only reason that healthcare costs have gone up) His wife must be delusional... Not knowing whose child it is and not mentioning the mother's name? C'mon when the National Enquirer breaks the story, that is more pathetic then Fox News. The republicans are no better, but the holier then art thou attitude should swing both ways.
Thank you, well put.
january13a, great comment! I couldn't agree more.
I know this may not be politically correct, but what did he see in this ne'er-do-well woman with the face of a horse? I know the new-agers; they are only concerned with getting what they want as a manifestation of their own power, without any thought to the ethics of it all. She is a classic new-ager. No integrity, no ethics --- just get what you want to show your power. Lest we forget, John Edwards has a history of helping others. That has been his life's work. Let's move on past his mistake. After all, we all make mistakes. To lose him is to lose a great soul with a very clear-cut purpose of helping the poor. This woman brought him down through trickery. He has owned up to his error, and now he has to get on with his mission. Blessings to you, John!
Exactly. Do you believe she has the cajones to smile pretty for the camera? What a bimbo! It's too bad that this is the way women can make an impact and gain noteriety. The last thing the press should do is give her any coverage. These people (Edwards, Young, the blonde bimbo) should all run and hide, let alone pose for photos.
The ol' blame the other woman, drag HER through the mud. "She's a new-ager". But she was good enough to screw. What a pig.
You should be wishing blessings to his wife and children.
Sorry, John Edwards did not just make a mistake from which he can "move on." He is still lying. The child is his. He won't allow DNA testing (well, he says he will but he makes sure that Rielle says No).
Further, he says the affair began and ended in 2006. If so, what was he doing in Rielle's hotel room at 3:00 am in 2008? The Enquirer caught him.
The ongoing lies are what make him such a sleazebag. It pains me that I voted for him.
This big juicy event has all the hype and trappings that the starving mind could ever hope for. The spurned and venomous politician's wife, the oft-praised-now-disgraced public servant, and the artful mistress whose opportunistic charms bring yet another scandal to the surface. There are book deals to be inked, television interviews to be cooked, and an investigation to bring the facts to light. And not to be forgotten is an 18-month old child who's paraded around in public like its everybody's business. Hey, what's not to like about a cute kid with OshKosh clothing.
John and Elizabeth are both boring egomaniacs.
Hes a phony ahole.
And Godbless Liz, she wont shut up.
(And Yes!! Lets indict Bush & Cheney first!!)
I hope Edwards is indicted. I say this as a former Kerry/Edwards campaign volunteer who hauled Edwards campaign sorry arse around in the 04 motorcades.
I blame John and Elizabeth Edwards in large part for their big role in ruining Hillary's chance to be President. Liars they are. They knew he'd never win yet they ran the campaign anyway hurting Hillary in Iowa.
I wonder if Edwards was paid off by Obama's people to hurt Hillary?! Just curious and wouldn't be surprised one bit. The caucus circuses were fraught with fraud. The DNC foolishly betrayed the Clintons for the unqualified Obama,.
I used to have such respect and admiration for Elizabeth Edwards. Now, she disgusts me for her role in the deceit of the voters in 08. I do however wish her well in her cancer fight.
Oh, you are so right. Hillary would have been President today but for John and Elizabeth Edwards deceit. And think of what a better country this would be without this narcissistic neophyte going all over the world and to our worst enemies apologizing for this great country. I cannot forgive the Edwards for their role in aiding Obama when they knew he was a man with very questionable motives in his pursuit of power. Anyone who read his two books and Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals knew this man was not fit for office. Now look at what he's doing: more damage than even George W. Bush, neither of whom should have ever been President. We have to stop allowing this "stupid" media push the wrong people to elective office.
If he used campaign funds to support his sexual partner, there should be a consequence: a big fat fine that could go a long way in providing some health insurance for the uninsured. In fact, I believe that we should be seeking more monetary fines in non-violent crime and use that money to reduce our deficit instead of adding to the cost of incarceration.
You make allegations but you have no basic rationale for it. As a campain worker, were you a chauffer or a gofer? Name one way John and Liz ruined Hillary in Iowa? It's not likely a Harvard educated lawyer would be defined as unqualified. You are right on this account;The caucus circuses were filled with fraud, the protesters behaved like prison inmates preparing for a jail-break.
I think Edwards has been covering his steps for so long, that even he doesn't know what he stands for. I feel bad for his wife but I really wish she would have blown his cover while he was campaigning. There is always so much cover up of politicians antics by staff, family etc. that they really have this sense of arrogance and super power. It's kind of like aiding and abetting. http://newsy1.wordpress.com
Something stinks about the entire situation..
However, why do some ..have to MEASURE each and every situation in american politics> one party against another in comparison as the most immoral? Both parties thru out this nation's history of party politics demonstrated questionable immorality..
Mr. Edwards situation is a moral issue FIRST as an individual..
If Edwards use campaign funds as HUSH money.. about his mistress and her child actually being fathered by edwards.. then let the chips fall where they may as a issue by edwards as unlawful..everyone has a PRICE.. even if you have to PAY PETER more money to catch the PAUL..in the act of being unlawful and immoral.. unfortunately.. this the way the babylonian system in america is structured..
I find it STRANGE, Ms. Hunter would bring the CHILD in question with her as she testifies before the GRAND JURY! WHO DOES THAT? This statement of display by Ms Hunter is saying.. I have nothing to hide... or I'm actually out to nail Edwards..and the child is his..becuz she feels she is a victim of sorts in this investigation ..in other words she (Hunter) is in a SERIOUS MESS.. and doesn't want to come clean about everything unless she has too.
Mrs. Edwards is in total denial about the entire situation.. to where she can't even bring hershelf to speak the name of her husband's mistress in public, however, chose to speak publicly about the situation on talk shows.. she loses respect IMPO for taking this position ..to NOT insist as the wife of Mr. Edwards..the RIGHT to know LEGALLY if her husband fathered Ms.Hunter's child.. especially when her husband with intentional purpose has lied publicly about his contact with Ms. Hunter..
If he is indicted and any of MY contributions to his campaign were used, I want my money back. I will then give it to one or more of the organizations who are trying to get accountability placed for the crimes committed by the Bush II administration.
Thank you.
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