John Edwards Indicted in Campaign Sex Scandal
As 2012 presidential hopefuls start announcing their candidacy, a former two-time presidential candidate is finding trouble with the feds.
A federal grand jury has indicted John Edwards, 57, on six counts, including conspiracy, four counts of illegal campaign contributions and one count of false statements, according to the Associated Press.
Edwards allegedly spent large sums of money to hide an extramarital affair during his 2008 presidential campaign. He is accused of using money from two supporters to cover up his affair with Rielle Hunter, a former campaign videographer with whom he had a child.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the money Edward allegedly used to cover up the affair came from his national campaign finance chairman, Fred Baron, and banking heiress Rachel “Bunny” Mellon. Baron died in 2008. Mellon is 100.
Edwards has been offered plea deals, but refuses to admit guilt. He does acknowledge that the now 3-year-old Frances Quinn Hunter is his child. The affair led to the undoing of his marriage with Elizabeth Edwards, who died from cancer in Dec. 2010.
Edwards was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004. Edwards could not immediately be reached for comment, but the politician has been under federal investigation for more than two years.
