Criminal Trial Pits John Edwards Against Once-Trusted Aide

Steve Exum/Getty Images(GREENSBORO, N.C.) -- They were once partners in a lie so spectacular it could have altered the course of a presidential election.

John Edwards, a contender for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, and Andrew Young, a once close personal and political aide to the candidate, allegedly conspired together in an elaborate and expensive scheme to hide Rielle Hunter, Edwards’ pregnant mistress, in the midst of the primary campaign.

So devoted was Young, a married man with three children of his own, that he savaged his own future by falsely claiming paternity of Hunter’s child, issuing a public statement designed to throw the political press corps off the scent of the scandal.  Young says the ruse was Edwards’ idea.

“And the most crazy thing about it is,” Young told ABC News' 20/20, “is that it did work.”

That assessment, of course, allows for a generous definition of success.

Edwards continued his campaign but voters in Iowa and New Hampshire rejected his message and turned the primary race into a two person race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

By the time Edwards suspended his campaign in late January 2008, Young was in hiding in California with his family and Rielle Hunter, who gave birth to a baby girl in Santa Barbara a month later.  Edwards continued to deny he was the father until finally acknowledging paternity in early 2010

Now, as Edwards’ criminal trial is set to begin Monday in federal court in Greensboro, N.C., Young is poised to be the key witness for the prosecution that aims to prove Edwards illegally conspired with Young and others to use hundreds of thousand of dollars in illegal campaign cash to hide Hunter.

Young, who has an immunity deal with prosecutors, has been accused by the defense of siphoning off thousands of dollars of that cash and spending it on himself.

And because both Edwards and Young have a history of lying about the events leading up to the trial, the stage is set for some dramatic courtroom moments.

“I think John Edwards’ own lawyers are going to have to attack John Edwards,” observes Dan Abrams, legal analyst for ABC News.  “They’re going to have to talk about John Edwards as a flawed man and a flawed human being who made some big mistakes.”

Similarly, the government will -- in some measure -- have to go after Young, its most important witness, in order to blunt the impact of what is sure to be an aggressive assault by the defense on Young’s credibility.

“This is the guy that publicly claimed that the baby was his,” notes Abrams.  “That makes [Young] an absolutely crucial witness in connection with this case.  The defense team is going to go after him.  They’re going to go after his credibility, why he’s saying this, why he’s doing this; and how effective the defense is in cross examining Andrew Young could make or break this case.”

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

John Edwards Trial: 42 Jurors Qualified; Final Selections Monday

Steve Exum/Getty Images(GREENSBORO, N.C.) -- U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Eagles has selected 42 potential jurors for the criminal trial of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards.  The final step, culling the jury to 12 members plus four alternates, will begin on Monday morning, with the trial itself set to begin after that.

Jury selection in the highly anticipated trial began last week, with a large pool of 185 people summoned to the federal courthouse in Greensboro, N.C. Judge Eagles quickly excused about a quarter of those potential jurors, many of whom acknowledged following the case closely in the media. Prospective jurors were asked their opinions of Mr. Edwards, their views on adultery, and their political leanings.

Edwards has pleaded not guilty to all charges in a six-count indictment alleging his complicity in a conspiracy to solicit hundreds of thousands of dollars from two supporters during the 2008 presidential primaries. Prosecutors allege the funds, which were used in part to hide Edwards’ pregnant mistress from the public, amount to illegal campaign contributions because the intent of the scheme was to influence an election for federal office.

Edwards was arrested last June after an investigation that took almost three years. He remains free on a personal recognizance bond and has been living at home with his two youngest children. His wife of 33 years, Elizabeth Edwards, died in December of 2010 after a prolonged battle with cancer.

If convicted on all counts, the former Democratic vice presidential nominee faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

John Edwards' Hair: From $400 Salon to $13 Supercuts

Sara D. Davis/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Former Sen. John Edwards’ brown locks that four years ago were getting the star treatment from a $400-per-cut Beverly Hills hairdresser are now being snipped and styled for a mere $12.95 by his local Supercuts, the New York Post reports.

Leah, a hairdresser at the Supercuts in Raleigh, N.C., that is mere miles from Edward’s Chapel Hill house, told the Post when Edwards’ came in there was no fanfare for the 2008 presidential candidate.

“We just talked about his hair,” she told the Post.

When ABC News called to confirm the story, Leah’s Supercuts colleague Nikki said she has “never” seen Edwards in the salon. Leah was not available for comment.

But Edwards, it seems, is making the Supercuts rounds. About two months ago, he stopped in one of the salon’s Chapel Hill locations so his son could get his hair done, Greg, a hairdresser at that location confirmed. While the former senator did not opt for a cut, his son got on a $10.95 style. That was the first and last time Edwards’ came in the Chapel Hill Supercuts, Greg said.

The story of Edwards’ outrageously expensive haircuts, which exploded during his 2008 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, is a cautionary tale that seems to have lived on into the current campaign.

Former GOP candidate Rick Perry, who earned the nickname “Governor Goodhair,” was quick to inform reporters that he only pays $25 to snip his thick dark locks.

While walking into Supercuts is a far cry from flying a high-end hairdresser across the country for a custom cut, the discount salon may seem like a luxury for Edwards, who could spend the next 30 years sheering his shag from behind bars.

The former senator is set to appear in court starting Monday for his closely-watched criminal trial, which will determine if he is guilty of six felony charges, including allegedly soliciting illegal campaign contributions and using them to cover up his extramarital affair with Rielle Hunter, who was pregnant with his son during Edwards’ 2008 presidential campaign.

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Jury Pool Thinned in John Edwards Trial

Sara D. Davis/Getty Images(GREENSBORO, N.C.) -- Nearly a quarter of the potential jurors in the criminal trial of former Sen. John Edwards were dismissed on Monday after the judge determined that many of them had tracked the case too closely and may have had difficulty weighing the evidence fairly, according to reports.

Jury selection is scheduled to continue on Tuesday, as the remaining jurors are questioned in open court by the judge and attorneys for both sides.  The trial is set to open next Monday with twelve jurors and four alternates ultimately selected to hear the evidence and determine Edwards’ fate.

Edwards was charged last June in a six-count indictment alleging his complicity in a conspiracy to solicit hundreds of thousands of dollars from two wealthy donors to support and seclude his pregnant mistress, Rielle Hunter.  Crucially, the indictment alleges the money was used “for the purposes of influencing an election” for federal office, specifically as a means of protecting and advancing Edwards’ candidacy for the 2008 Democratic nomination for president.

For Edwards’ defense team, finding the right mix of jurors in such a high-profile case involving an immensely unpopular defendant is critical and could prove difficult.

“I think that does pose a significant problem for the defense,” says Melanie Sloan, executive director of the advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which filed a friend of the court brief on behalf of Edwards.  “Everybody in America hates John Edwards.  He was cheating on his cancer stricken wife.  You really can’t get lower than that.  But by the same token, I think Americans can judge facts impartially and they can look at the situation and say, ‘yes, having an affair and doing what he did is terrible, but that doesn’t make it a crime.’”

Edwards pleaded not guilty last June to all of the charges.  His defense team has characterized the money received from the donors as gifts not subject to election finance laws.  There are no allegations in the indictment that any of that money passed through Edwards’ presidential campaign coffers.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

John Edwards’ Lawyers Seek Financial Records of Key Witness

Sara D. Davis/Getty Images(GREENSBORO, N.C.) -- A federal judge overseeing the criminal trial of former Sen. John Edwards has scheduled a hearing for next Monday to determine if the defense team will be given access to a trove of detailed financial information from key prosecution witness Andrew Young, the former aide to Edwards who authored a tell-all book about the scandal.

Edwards’ efforts to obtain the records were first revealed in court documents filed late Wednesday.

David Harris, an accountant for Young and wife, Cheri, filed a motion to quash a subpoena served on him earlier this month.

“Compliance with the [s]ubpoena is unreasonable and oppressive,” Harris’ motion states, because the Youngs have not given consent to produce the materials, and there is no court order requiring the accounting firm to comply.

The subpoena seeks tax returns and details on the Youngs’ income and assets dating back to 2006.  The defense team is also asking for any records of money or gifts the couple may have received from Fred Baron and Bunny Mellon, the two donors who allegedly funneled more than $900,000 into the cover-up of Edwards’ affair.

In pre-trial motions over the past several months, Edwards’ defense team has strongly signaled its intent to aggressively attack Young as a biased witness with a profit motive and a vendetta against his former boss.  They have noted in court filings that the Youngs controlled the money and used some of it to help build their “dream home” on a wooded hilltop overlooking Chapel Hill.

Young’s book, The Politician, was a hot seller in 2010 -- and the Youngs have sold the movie rights to their story to Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin.   Edwards’ subpoena seeks all financial documents related to the book and movie deals.

In the book -- and in subsequent interviews with ABC News -- Young has acknowledged that he and his wife spent some of the money on themselves, but claimed it was all done in furtherance of the cover-up -- with the aim of keeping Edwards’ political future viable.

“It all went into a mixed pot,” Young told ABC in January 2010.   “A lot of the money went into the house, a lot of it went into the care and feeding of Rielle.  I mean, having a baby is very expensive without health insurance.”

As the Iowa caucuses approached, Young eventually went so far as to falsely claim paternity of Hunter’s child.  Then Young, his wife and three children secreted away with Hunter on a cross-country odyssey, flying on private jets and staying in luxurious homes and hotels -- all paid for, Young says, with money from Baron and Mellon.  The indictment alleges that, in all, more than $900,000 was spent to keep Edwards’ pregnant mistress under wraps.

“There was money being spent all over the place,” Young says. 

"But unequivocally, everything that I did, in terms of procuring money, spending money or where monies went, was done at the direction of  Fred Baron and John Edwards.  And for anybody to say that I misdirected funds is ridiculous.”

Edwards, 58, has pleaded not guilty to all charges in a six-count federal indictment for allegedly soliciting illegal contributions from Baron and Mellon to help hide Hunter during the 2008 Democratic Presidential primary campaign.  Jury selection in the highly-anticipated trial got under way Thursday morning in Greensboro, N.C.

U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Eagles addressed nearly 200 potential jurors Thursday reminding them that this case “is not about whether Mr. Edwards was a good husband or politician.  It’s about whether he violated campaign finance laws.”

Edwards -- who built a successful and lucrative career trying cases in front of North Carolina juries -- took care to smile and make eye contact with the jurors as the judge introduced him as the defendant in the case.  Edwards’ eldest daughter, Cate, and his parents, Wallace and Bobbie, sat quietly among the spectators.

The trial is scheduled to begin on April 23 and could last six weeks or more.  Andrew Young is expected to be the first witness called by the prosecution.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

John Edwards Set to Face Jury in North Carolina

Steve Exum/Getty Images(GREENSBORO, N.C.) -- Moments after a federal judge rejected John Edwards’ efforts to dismiss the government’s criminal case against him, the former senator and one-time rising star of Democratic politics stood outside the U.S. District Courthouse in Greensboro, N.C., and pronounced that he is ready to fight.

“What’s important now is that I now get my day in court,” Edwards proclaimed that day last October.  “After all these years -- I finally get my day in court.”

Edwards, 58, an attorney who made his name and built his fortune arguing malpractice cases in North Carolina courtrooms, is now placing his future and his freedom in the hands of a jury of his peers.

More than three years after the federal government launched an investigation into the financing of the cover-up of Edwards’ affair with fledgling videographer Rielle Hunter, jury selection is finally set to begin Thursday morning in a case as controversial as it as salacious.  The events that led to this day seem, in many ways, like ancient history.  Edwards long ago surrendered any hopes of a political future, his once-promising career draped in the shame of an illicit affair, implausible denials and revelations of a homemade sex tape.

And it has been over six years since Edwards and Hunter met in a chance encounter outside a New York hotel.  The first time they laid eyes on each other, she told him he was “hot,” and a sexual affair quickly ensued.  Their daughter born out of the affair, Frances Quinn Hunter, turned 4-years-old earlier this year having spent the first two years of her life with a father who publicly denied she was his.

The trial itself has already been delayed several times, most recently because Edwards needed treatment for a serious heart condition.

The former North Carolina senator was charged last June in a six-count indictment alleging that he was complicit in an illegal and elaborate conspiracy to seclude and support Hunter during the 2008 Democratic primary campaign for president.  If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and more than a $1 million dollars in fines.

The government contends Edwards, desperate to keep his pregnant mistress out of the public eye as he pursued a bid for the White House, orchestrated a plan to solicit nearly a million dollars from two wealthy supporters -- Virginia heiress Rachel “Bunny” Mellon, and the late Fred Baron, a Texas trial attorney who served as Edwards’ national campaign finance chairman.

In announcing the charges, Assistant United States Attorney General Lanny Breuer called Edwards’ actions an affront to the integrity of democratic elections.

“We will not permit candidates for high office to abuse their special ability to access the coffers of their political supporters to circumvent our election laws,” Breuer said in a statement.

In the days before the indictment was issued, Edwards, now a single father after the death of his wife Elizabeth in 2010, considered but ultimately rejected a plea offer from prosecutors -- reportedly because the government insisted Edwards serve at least six months in jail.

Instead, Edwards decided to take his chances in the courtroom.  He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, and his legal team, led by high-profile attorney Abbe Lowell, has assailed the government’s theory of the case as a “crazy and radical” interpretation of election law.  They have characterized the money from Mellon and Baron as gifts that were unrelated to the campaign.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

John Edwards Denies Link to ‘Millionaire Madam’

Steve Exum/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- John Edwards on Thursday denied a report by Manhattan news site DNAinfo that he was a client of New York “Millionaire Madam” Anna Gristina’s brothel.

Edwards, a former North Carolina senator who ran for the Democratic presidential nod in 2008, is the first big name to be associated with the brothel, which was broken up by vice cops in March.

Edwards’ lawyer, Allison Van Laningham, called the report by the website “false and defamatory.”

“Mr. Edwards categorically denies that he was involved with any prostitute or service.  These allegations are false, defamatory, and he puts those who would publish or repeat them on notice that they acting with actual malice by reporting or repeating them.  He has demanded a complete retraction from the only source being quoted,” Van Laningham said in a statement to ABC News.

The former politician allegedly had a one-night tryst with a hooker in an Upper East Side hotel suite, DNAinfo reported.

It’s not the first time Edwards issued a denial over allegations regarding his personal life.

When the National Enquirer broke the story that he fathered a child with mistress Rielle Hunter, the former senator called the claim “made-up.”

“The story is false. It’s completely untrue, ridiculous,” he said in 2007.

Edwards is facing a federal trial, accused of conspiring to violate campaign-finance laws by using about $1 million from campaign donors to cover up his affair and child with Hunter.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Judge Allows John Edwards to Hire Rielle Hunter’s Ex-Lawyers

Sara D. Davis/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- A federal judge ruled Thursday afternoon that John Edwards could hire two lawyers who recently represented Rielle Hunter in a civil case over a videotape featuring the former candidate in a sexual encounter with his mistress.

U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Eagles determined that Alan Duncan and Allison Van Laningham, who represented Rielle Hunter in the now-settled civil dispute, would be permitted to defend Edwards in his criminal trial, but they would be prohibited from participating in any questioning or cross-examination of Hunter. Eagles indicated in her ruling that “without a doubt” a conflict exists for Duncan and Van Laningham if Hunter testifies.

Edwards’ legal team is led by high-profile Washington attorney Abbe Lowell, who will most likely handle the questioning of Hunter should she be called to the stand.

In court filings the prosecutors submitted prior to the hearing, the government revealed that Hunter had entered into a limited immunity agreement prior to her grand jury testimony and had provided “testimonial, documentary and physical evidence.” The government also outlined a revealing preview of Hunter’s anticipated testimony at the trial.

“The [g]overnment expects…Ms. Hunter would testify that she was, of course, a participant in the ongoing affair, which spanned the duration of Edwards’ official campaign for President,” the motion states. “She acknowledges cash spent and benefits conferred (to include medical care, living expenses, furniture, clothing, vacations, luxury travel and accommodations and cash payments) as the result of Edwards’ and others’ efforts to support and conceal her, the affair and the pregnancy from the media.”

In the hearing Thursday afternoon, the lead prosecutor -- Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Higdon -- shed some additional light on the immunity deal. Higdon told the court that the government had promised not to use Hunter’s grand jury testimony or information she provided to investigators against her, but stopped short of promising not to prosecute her. At this point, however, Higdon said the government did not anticipate pursuing any charges against Hunter.

Edwards, a two-time Democratic candidate for president, was charged last June in a six-count felony indictment alleging he illegally solicited hundreds of thousands of dollars from two wealthy donors to support and seclude Hunter during her pregnancy. Edwards has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and the trial is expected to begin next month.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

John Edwards Case: Feds Object to Rielle Hunter’s Lawyers Joining Defense

Steve Exum/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- A federal judge overseeing the criminal trial of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is hearing arguments about potential conflicts of interest raised by the recent addition of Rielle Hunter’s former attorneys to Edwards’ legal team.

Alan Duncan and Allison Van Laningham, who represented Hunter in a civil suit over ownership of a videotape depicting Hunter and Edwards in a sexual encounter, filed notice last week that they would be joining Edwards’ criminal defense team, just six business days after the civil dispute was settled and the sex tape ordered destroyed.

Government prosecutors quickly requested an investigative inquiry by the judge, arguing in a motion to the court that the participation of Hunter’s former attorneys in the criminal trial “presents a classic conflicts problem,” and asserting there is a “real possibility that cross-examination of Ms. Hunter may not be as thorough as otherwise might be the case were an independent non-conflicted counsel conducting the examination.”

The defense team countered that Edwards, Hunter and her former attorneys had all considered the potential for conflicts and had determined that none exist.  Hunter signed a letter to the court indicating she has no objection to Duncan and Van Laningham representing Edwards.

The government’s motion also reveals – for the first time – that Hunter entered into an immunity agreement with the government prior to her grand jury appearance in August 2009 – and outlines a revealing preview of Hunter’s anticipated testimony at the trial.

“The [g]overnment expects…Ms. Hunter would testify that she was, of course, a participant in the ongoing affair, which spanned the duration of Edwards’ official campaign for President,” the motion states.   “She acknowledges cash spent and benefits conferred (to include medical care, living expenses, furniture, clothing, vacations, luxury travel and accommodations, and cash payments) as the result of Edwards’ and others’ efforts to support and conceal her, the affair and the pregnancy from the media.”

Edwards was charged last June in a six-count felony indictment alleging his complicity in an illegal scheme to solicit more than $900,000 from two wealthy donors to support and conceal Hunter during her pregnancy - while Edwards was pursuing the 2008 Democratic nomination for president.   Edwards has pleaded not guilty to all counts, and his defense team has argued that the government is pursuing the case employing a “crazy” and “radical” interpretation of election laws.

In late 2007, shortly after the National Enquirer snapped photos of a visibly pregnant Hunter, the candidate’s mistress was whisked away on private jets on a five-state odyssey – staying in luxury hotels and private resort homes – allegedly supported with secret cash payments funneled from the donors to Andrew Young, a former close aide to Edwards who once falsely claimed paternity of Hunter’s daughter.

“Throughout this period,” the government’s motion continues, “Hunter stayed in close contact with Edwards, often speaking with him many times per day.  We expect Hunter to testify that she made Edwards aware of her living situation, welcomed his periodic visits, alerted him to her financial needs, and complained when she did not receive – in her estimation – adequate support from the funds.”

If Hunter is called to the stand, the government says in its motion that “she will provide testimony suggesting that Edwards was aware of the funds being provided, participated in planning the scheme… and that he was aware of and condoned the role that many of the participants played in the conspiracy charged in the Indictment.”

Edwards’ trial is scheduled to begin next month in U.S. District Court in Greensboro, N.C.   It is expected to last six weeks.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

John Edwards Has ‘Serious’ Heart Condition, Trial Delayed

Sara D. Davis/Getty Images(RALEIGH, N.C.) -- The criminal trial of John Edwards that was set to begin Jan. 30 will be delayed at least two months because the former Democratic presidential candidate has a “real and serious” heart condition that requires medical intervention.

Federal Judge Catherine Eagles granted the delay after noting that she had received two letters from Edwards’ cardiologist detailing the nature of the heart trouble.

While the precise condition was not discussed in open court, it was revealed that Edwards has had three “episodes” in recent weeks and that he is scheduled to undergo a procedure next month. Edwards has also been advised to avoid driving.

Edwards appeared “a little pale and gaunt” during a brief interaction inside the courthouse, where cameras are not permitted, according to Ed Crump, a reporter for ABC’s Raleigh affiliate WTVD who attended the court hearing Friday.

Edwards  apparently managed to evade photographers on the way in and out of court Friday afternoon. At previous court appearances, Edwards has used the front entrance and has made no obvious effort to avoid being photographed.

A two-time presidential candidate and the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee, Edwards was charged in June in a six-count federal indictment alleging that he was complicit in an illegal scheme to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars from two wealthy supporters to help support and seclude his pregnant mistress, Rielle Hunter, during the 2008 presidential campaign. Prosecutors allege those payments were intended to influence the election and therefore violated federal campaign laws.

Edwards pleaded not guilty to all the charges and his lawyers have described the government’s case as “crazy,” and that prosecutors are employing a radical interpretation of election law.

In requesting the delay, the defense team argued that Edwards has been unable to participate in trial preparations in the past month, resulting in their falling behind in their case work.

The judge has asked all parties to report back to her at the end of February for an update. The trial is now set to begin March 26, but might be subject to further delay.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio