REPORT: John Edwards To Be Indicted For Covering Up Affair
May 25 2011, Published 9:30 a.m. ET
RadarOnline.com Staff Reporter
Disgraced former presidential candidate John Edwards will be indicted for alleged campaign law violations stemming from the cover-up of his affair with a political staffer.
In a shocking development, the United States Department of Justice has green-lighted the prosecution against the former North Carolina senator, according to ABC News.
Edwards is apparently aware of the pending indictment, and is weighing his options, including accepting a plea bargain or facing a lengthy and costly trial, said the report.
Edwards’ infidelity was first reported exclusively by the National Enquirer, who revealed that he was having an affair with Rielle Hunter, a campaign videographer, while he was married to his wife, Elizabeth Edwards. Hunter became pregnant with Edwards’ child, and another Edwards campaign staffer claimed paternity of the child, a girl named Quinn.
He has been the subject of a lengthy federal investigation which focused on money donated by two wealthy supporters. The government will say those donations, hundreds of thousands of dollars, were illegal donations because they went to support and hide Hunter.
Andrew Young, the staffer who initially took the blame for fathering the child and allowed Hunter to live in his house with his wife and children, will be the star witness for the government.
Edwards finally admitted that he had an affair with Hunter and fathered a child with her after the National Enquirer reports, but he has maintained that he did not use campaign funds to cover up the affair.
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Elizabeth Edwards passed away in 2010 after a seven year battle with cancer. John and Elizabeth had four children, a son Wade who died in a car accident in 1996, a daughter Cate who is an attorney, a daughter Emma Claire and a son Jack.
The two younger children live with their father in North Carolina.
John Edwards did not return a call for comment.
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