Yes, John Edwards is
free as a bird.
The jury deliberated for 9 days, acquitted him of one charge and were unable to come to a decision on the other 5.
The case resolved around charges of whether he used campaign funds to hide his pregnant mistress Rielle Hunter while he was running for president.
The main question was not whether the funds involved, solicited from long time Edwards donors, were actually
used for the purpose of funding the coverup, but whether Edwards
knew they were being used for that purpose. In other words, as Hillary Clinton could tell you, the problem of proving intent, the best friend a scam artist armed with a law degree has.
Edwards acknowledged that in his post trial remarks:
"While I do not believe I did anything illegal, or ever thought I was doing anything illegal, I did an awful, awful lot that was wrong and there is no one else responsible for my sins."
Lessee..once she began showing, Hunter was first hidden out with loyal campaign aide Andrew Young and his wife at a $2,700 a month rental home not far from the Edwards estate in Chapel Hill in North Carolina. Later, Edwards moved the trio to a $20,000-a-month beachfront manor in Santa Barbara, California, with the bills being paid for by one of his long time donors, Texas attorney Fred Baron.
Edward's attorneys would have you believe that Baron (who's now conveniently deceased) did this out of sheer love for Massah Edwards. It seems to have worked.
Another interesting point Edward's attorneys brought up was to insist that the motive had nothing to do with his presidential campaign, but was simply to keep his cancer stricken wife from finding out. Except, as was revealed at the trial, Elizabeth Edwards found out well before Edwards was busted by the
National Enquirer in that Beverly Hills hotel, as far back as Dec. 30, 2006, the day Edwards officially announced his bid for president. She simply decided, for whatever reason,not to go public.
One of my sources who ought to know tells me that there was one rather forceful holdout on the jury who gradually got a couple of the others to come over to his side. If my source is correct, it appears that at least some members of the jury were gotten to, which is hardly surprising in this kind of case.
Even funnier, since the case involves campaign finance laws, it's up to the Obama Department of Justice whether to retry John Edwards, and apparently they're not going to. Well connected and prominent Democrat, probably hit up for a sizeable PAC donation to the Obama Campaign, badda bam badda bing..
Even worse, John Edwards isn't closing the door on a future run for office:
"I don't think God's through with me. I really believe he thinks there's still some good things I can do."
Yes, there really are two Americas.
