The U.S. Justice Department has given the go-ahead for prosecution of former vice-presidential candidate John Edwards for alleged violations of campaign laws while he tried to cover up his affair with Rielle Hunter, sources said Tuesday. A source close to Edwards said the former North Carolina senator is aware of the possible indictment and is considering a plea deal to avoid a long and costly trial. Edwards has been subject to a long investigation into whether he gave illegal campaign donations to Hunter, then his mistress who later gave birth to his daughter. The government’s case is expected to weigh heavily on Andrew Young, a former aide of Edwards who originally claimed to be Hunter’s daughter’s father before the 2008 Iowa caucuses.
