John Edwards may indeed be felony dumb.

[soonerchk]

Discuss? Or just throw mud and general accusations as usual. Whatever.


Justice Department moving toward charges in Edwards case
By: CNN Senior Producer Kevin Bohn
Washington (CNN) - The Justice Department has authorized prosecutors to bring criminal charges against former presidential candidate and Senator John Edwards, sources with knowledge of the investigation confirm to CNN.
An indictment could be averted if prosecutors and lawyers for Edwards reach a plea deal.

Edwards is aware the government is preparing to bring an indictment and is now considering his options, one source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN.
The government wants Edwards to plead guilty to a felony, but he doesn't want to do that because he would lose his law license, a source close to the Edwards family told CNN. Edwards has talked to friends and associates about wanting to start a public interest law firm, and "doesn't want to lose his license, not to mention he is terrified of going to jail," the source added.
Since 2009, a federal grand jury in North Carolina has been investigating payments made to Rielle Hunter, Edwards' mistress, who worked as a videographer for his campaign. Edwards fathered an out of wedlock baby with Hunter while he was married. The grand jury has been investigating whether the payments should be considered un-reported campaign donations. Lawyers for Edwards have argued they should not be.
Whatever the outcome, a resolution to the two year investigation by the government is expected "soon," the source with knowledge of the investigation said Wednesday.
Both sources refused to speak on the record because of the sensitivity of the matter.
The source close to the family describes Edwards' legal team as "solid people" who are trying to convince him to take a plea and get a better offer by suggesting the government's case isn't as strong as the federal prosecution team might think. The source said Edwards' defense lawyers hope to still sway the government to offer Edwards a better deal.
The Edwards legal team had hoped that the Justice Department would end up not pursuing charges.
Much of the government's case appears centered on a former aide. In his tell-all book "The Politician," former Edwards staffer Andrew Young wrote that heiress Rachel "Bunny" Mellon gave Edwards a gift of $700,000 that was used to cover-up the affair with Hunter, a video producer for the campaign who was pregnant with the former senator's child. Mellon's attorneys have previously said she thought she was just helping a friend, didn't know what the money was meant for and that she did nothing wrong.
Edwards declined to comment Tuesday to CNN affiliate WRAL-TV of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Young told WRAL in 2010 that Mellon did not know how her money was used, but said the money went toward flights and to pay rent for Hunter's California home while Young pretended to be the father of Hunter's child.
Edwards later admitted he fathered the child.
Edwards told ABC's Nightline in 2008 he never paid a dime to any of the people involved in the scandal and never asked any money to be paid to the those involved.
Spokesmen for the U.S. Attorney's Office and Edwards' legal team declined comment on the case.
–CNN Chief National Correspondent John King contributed to this report

[jk the sooner fan]

he's concerned about losing his law license? does he have a long line of clients waiting for him to hear their case?

[3rdgensooner]

not to mention he is terrified of going to jail," the source added.You don't say

[soonerchk]

You don't say

He used to be a pretty boy, he probably should be afraid.

[The Maestro]

He wants to make a lot of money as an attorney but he is afraid to go to jail.

Sorry, Johnny...you only get to pick one.

Gotta funny feeling he and Arnie might be hanging out soon.

[StoopTroup]

he's concerned about losing his law license? does he have a long line of clients waiting for him to hear their case?
I think he was a pretty good trial lawyer before he decided to become a real scumbag.

[soonerchk]

he's concerned about losing his law license? does he have a long line of clients waiting for him to hear their case?

Yeah, don't you know he'd make a great trial lawyer now? He's peeved off so many people that the jury would automatically find in favor of his opponent.

[soonercruiser]

he's concerned about losing his law license? does he have a long line of clients waiting for him to hear their case?

He should talk to Bill Clinton to get some advice.
Then cop a deal and retire on the $millions that he has already scammed victims for.

[The Profit]

He should talk to Bill Clinton to get some advice.
Then cop a deal and retire on the $millions that he has already scammed victims for.



Don't end sentences with prepositions. It is annoying.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

not to mention he is terrified of going to jail," the source added.

Perhaps he should have thought of that before he used Federal money to pay off his beyotch...

[jk the sooner fan]

I think he was a pretty good trial lawyer before he decided to become a real scumbag.

i'm aware of this - but i dont know that now that his scumbaggedness has been certified, that too many people will be wanting his services

[TheHumanAlphabet]

I think he was a pretty good trial liar and killing of OBGYN's careers before he decided to become a real scumbag.

FIFY

[The Profit]

He should have just screwed the old lady, who was giving him the money. She was too old to get pregnant, willing to shower him with loads of cash, and she knew how to keep her mouth shut. All-in-all, a bad choice for the frat-boy.

[OrlandoSooner]

I think he was a pretty good trial lawyer before he decided to become a real scumbag.

Which came first? The chicken or the egg?

[3rdgensooner]

John Edwards: his path from golden boy to persona non grata in North Carolina

Reports that the US Justice Department is moving ahead with a potential indictment against John Edwards underscore how much his political ascent was dashed on the rocks by an affair, a love child, and, allegedly, a $1 million payoff.
http://www.soonerfans.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/images/0525-usa-edwards/10191610-1-eng-US/0525-usa-edwards_full_380.jpg
http://www.csmonitor.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/images/0525-usa-edwards/10191610-1-eng-US/0525-usa-edwards_full_380.jpg
In this Dec. 2010 photo, Former Democratic presidential
candidate John Edwards is seen in Raleigh, N.C.

Atlanta John Edwards (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/John+Edwards+%28Politician%29) was the Democratic golden boy with the Carolina drawl, boyish grin, and flip-flop hairstyle, who came within a few million votes of becoming vice president of the United States (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/United+States) in 2004.

But reports Wednesday that the US Justice Department (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/U.S.+Department+of+Justice) is moving ahead with a potential indictment against Mr. Edwards – who was also a presidential candidate in 2008 – underscore how much his political ascent was dashed on the rocks by an affair, a love child, and, allegedly, a $1 million payoff.

Nowhere is Edwards's meteoric fall from the political stratosphere to social outcast more evident than in his home state of North Carolina (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/North+Carolina), a mid-Southern state that prides itself on the quality of its home-grown personalities, be they actors, CEOs or politicians. These days, Edwards doesn't get invited to political events, the University of North Carolina (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/University+of+North+Carolina+at+Chapel+Hill) has distanced his name from a poverty foundation he initiated, and few people come to shake his hand at UNC basketball games, for which he has season tickets.

To be sure, even here in the South, which places a high value on redemption, his former supporters see in part a tragedy fomented by common and forgivable events, including romantic indiscretion. Yet Edwards's momentous betrayal of trust with his family and supporters has bred an unusual depth of dismay and disillusionment in North Carolina.
His persona non grata status in the Tar Heel State is at least partly a reaction to the close personal connection that many North Carolinians had made to his hardscrabble beginnings
.
In 1998, Edwards won a North Carolina Senate (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/North+Carolina+State+Senate) seat out of nowhere. During the 2000 presidential campaign, he landed on the vice presidential shortlist of Al Gore (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/Al+Gore). But his trajectory ultimately skimmed over and hid critical character flaws.

"Edwards fell victim to longstanding temptations faced by people in power, usually men, but he's also an expression of what's new in our politics: He had never lost a campaign; he jumped from the bottom of the ladder to the top without having to climb it," says Ferrel Guillory (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/Ferrel+Guillory), a journalism professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill whose son once started a high school "Edwards for President" chapter.

The possible indictment is the result of a two-year investigation focusing on $1 million from two wealthy campaign donors – Rachel "Bunny" Mellon and the late Fred Baron (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/Fred+Baron) – during the 2008 presidential race. According to former Edwards aide Andrew Young (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/Andrew+Young), who wrote the tell-all book "The Politician," the "Bunny money" helped fund the coverup of Edwards's affair with Rielle Hunter (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/Rielle+Hunter), a freelance campaign videographer.

The legal questions are whether the money was used inappropriately and whether Edwards knew about the payments, which he has claimed he did not.

With his wife by his side, Edwards in 2008 admitted the affair in an attempt to take a familiar route to redemption. At that point, he still had a chance to salvage his reputation, much like politicians like Bill Clinton (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/Bill+Clinton) had before him. "In 2006, I told Elizabeth about the mistake, asked her for her forgiveness, asked God for his forgiveness. And we have kept this within our family since that time," Edwards said at the time.

But he lied when he denied being the father of Ms. Hunter's child – a falsehood the National Enquirer (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/The+National+Enquirer) eventually exposed with a front-page photo of Edwards meeting with Hunter in California (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/California) and holding the girl. What followed was the eventual estrangement of his wife, Elizabeth Edwards (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/Elizabeth+Edwards), who was struggling with cancer. She died in December 2010.

The seaminess of the story, his citing God amid lies, and the drip-by-drip revelations that may become part of a criminal mosaic only fueled the sense of betrayal among his North Carolina supporters – even after Edwards largely left the public arena and retreated to his beach house.

"The story just got more and more odd with [Mr. Young] pretending to be the father of the woman's child, then her living with the Youngs and moving around, then this 'Bunny,' the rich woman, getting money from her to fund it, and a guy in Dallas (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/Dallas) orchestrating it," Mr. Guillory says. "[The bitterness in North Carolina] has to do with the death of his wife and the breakup of their marriage before her death. It has to do with his, well, just frankly not telling the truth. People said, 'John, what happened to you? How did all this happen?' "

Part of what prosecutors in Raleigh (http://www.soonerfans.com/layout/set/print/tags/topic/Raleigh), N.C., will have to determine before they move forward with a grand jury hearing is whether Edwards has been punished enough by the consequences of his actions and the personal tragedy he has endured. If he is indicted, he could potentially take a plea bargain instead of dredging up the whole sordid tale again, in front of many North Carolinians who, at this point, have frankly heard enough about John Edwards.

[badger]

I am proud to live in Tulsa, the final campaign stop by Edwards before he realized that the presidential thingie was a bad idea. This was around the time we overwhelmingly voted NO on the river tax, so I can just imagine John Edwards trying to convince Tulsa that he was more about hope and change than the other guy and Hillary and all of them screaming back at him how change is bad and there is no hope or something funny like that :D

[texaspokieokie]

I think he was a pretty good trial lawyer before he decided to become a real scumbag.

didn't he get a boat load of $$ from huge tobacco companies. (i mean from suing big tobacco for a bunch of dumbass hillbillies that didn't know tobacco could hurt them)

[texaspokieokie]

I am proud to live in Tulsa, the final campaign stop by Edwards before he realized that the presidential thingie was a bad idea. This was around the time we overwhelmingly voted NO on the river tax, so I can just imagine John Edwards trying to convince Tulsa that he was more about hope and change than the other guy and Hillary and all of them screaming back at him how change is bad and there is no hope or something funny like that :D

what was the "river tax" ????

[soonerchk]

what was the "river tax" ????

Tulsa's plan to develop the river area that failed. Jenks says thank you, Tulsinians!

[3rdgensooner]

Tulsa's plan to develop the river area that failed. Jenks says thank you, Broken Arrowites!FIFY

[The Profit]

FIFY



I always wondered what Broken Arrow people were called.

[3rdgensooner]

I actually have no idea what they prefer. I prefer to fraternize with real Tulsans.




siiiiick buuurrrn

[soonerchk]

Broken Arryans?

[soonersponge]

I am not a real Tulsan and you fraternize with me!

[badger]

what was the "river tax" ????

The river tax was doomed from the start. Here's a largely editorialized recap that I will not write for your reading pleasure:

Some area people and businesses (read Kaiser and QT) were up for river development. So, the idea of having a fraction of a penny sales tax added onto current sales taxes was brought forward.

Alas, a 0.4 percent hike was not seen as four-tenths of a penny. It was seen as a way to improve only one part of the county, only some parts of the river (the Jenks and Tulsa-next-to-river parts) and not Bixby, Broken Arrow, north Tulsa, etc. etc.

Incentives were later placed in the proposal for north Tulsa pools, etc. but it was not enough. Certain areas of the community were so angry about the proposal that next to the "Our River Yes" campaign, they coined it "Their River No" and boldly displayed the word "TAX" in anti-campaign efforts.

The biggest incentive for Tulsa to pass this was $117 million, which was pledged by private donors should the $282 million tax side pass.

Most interestingly, after the tax failed, certain anti-tax politicians in the area suddenly sounded gung ho about river developments.

The political atmosphere in the Tulsa area very much seems to be "what's in it for me" and "it better not cost me anything." Vision 2025 apparently passed because there was something for everybody in it. The River Tax failed to do the same thing.

[soonerchk]

Bixby, always Bixby.

[soonersponge]

Bixby, always Bixby.

I don't live in Bixby!

[soonersponge]

The river tax was doomed from the start. Here's a largely editorialized recap that I will not write for your reading pleasure:

Some area people and businesses (read Kaiser and QT) were up for river development. So, the idea of having a fraction of a penny sales tax added onto current sales taxes was brought forward.

Alas, a 0.4 percent hike was not seen as four-tenths of a penny. It was seen as a way to improve only one part of the county, only some parts of the river (the Jenks and Tulsa-next-to-river parts) and not Bixby, Broken Arrow, north Tulsa, etc. etc.

Incentives were later placed in the proposal for north Tulsa pools, etc. but it was not enough. Certain areas of the community were so angry about the proposal that next to the "Our River Yes" campaign, they coined it "Their River No" and boldly displayed the word "TAX" in anti-campaign efforts.

The biggest incentive for Tulsa to pass this was $117 million, which was pledged by private donors should the $282 million tax side pass.

Most interestingly, after the tax failed, certain anti-tax politicians in the area suddenly sounded gung ho about river developments.

The political atmosphere in the Tulsa area very much seems to be "what's in it for me" and "it better not cost me anything." Vision 2025 apparently passed because there was something for everybody in it. The River Tax failed to do the same thing.

Lies

[soonerchk]

I don't live in Bixby!

do so

[3rdgensooner]

I am not a real Tulsan and you fraternize with me!Because you provide booze.

[soonerchk]

I am not a real Tulsan and you fraternize with me!

Your wife pays me.

[soonersponge]

do so

My zip code is 74011. That is not Bixby. Now, I am in Bixby school district.

[3rdgensooner]

Your wife pays me.
You don't live in Tulsa.

[soonerchk]

You don't live in Tulsa.

Mod willing, I won't have to again either.

[3rdgensooner]

Mod willing, I won't have to again either.Then stop answering for me, damnit.

[soonerchk]

Then stop answering for me, damnit.

I was just stating facts, dammit

[StoopTroup]

My zip code is 74011. That is not Bixby. Now, I am in Bixby school district.

I just looked that up....You live in a Super Fund cleanup site....

You sure that's not Bixby? That's downstream of where Tulsa dumps our turds....

[texaspokieokie]

thanx for the info, Baj & Chk !!

i went to River Walk" or whatever it's called) with some friends, a few yrs ago.

3 of my very best friends live in Broken Arrow, Tulsa & Bixby.
alsoa couple live in Jenks, very near the Riverside-Jenks airport.

All of us, Okmulgee Hi-School, class of 55.

[SoonerBread]

Originally Posted by soonerchk
Tulsa's plan to develop the river area that failed. Jenks says thank you, Broken Arrowites!FIFY

Bass Pro Drive seems to be doing just fine... FWIW

[SoonerNate]

Isn't Broken Arrow a movie?

[delhalew]

I totally get the connection.

[soonerchk]

Ex-presidential hopeful John Edwards ordered to repay $2.3M that exceeded matching funds in his 2008 campaign per CNN breaking news.

[badger]

Elizabeth cut John out of her will. Will that scumbag have enough to pay off this judgement? :D

[SoCaliSooner]

Elizabeth cut John out of her will. Will that scumbag have enough to pay off this judgement? :D

Can't he just sue some pool equipment company for it? Oh...wait...he may lose his ability to practice law.

He'll manage somehow...

[soonerchk]

Elizabeth cut John out of her will. Will that scumbag have enough to pay off this judgement? :D

Maybe he can sell the sex tape?

[sappstuf]

per CNN breaking news.

That was one expensive piece of azz.....

[soonerchk]

That was one expensive piece of azz.....

No doubt. You'd at least expect something that expensive to at least come with it's own birth control.

[badger]

Embezzlement is sooooo not worth it. Case after case shows that people have no idea how much they're taking until it all adds up when they're caught in the end. A financial manager from my church back in Wisconsin was cashing donation checks that were less than $100 for years, adding up to about $100,000 (and she probably stole cash offerings as well, which couldn't be traced). There was a Goodwill accountant from northeast Wisconsin that sent herself and her husband's business checks for a few hundred for years, as well as company credit card usage on trips that added up to $500,000. The ex-Skiatook superintendent sold his school's vending for a few thousand (but the vendor milked the district for hundreds of thousands). With John Edwards, it added up to $2.3 million.

It is so not worth it. You will get caught. Don't do it.

[soonercruiser]

per CNN breaking news.

Yes! This additional bad news today.
So, I guess that means he'll start working for MSNBC soon!
:D

Oops! Nope! Tax evasion...that's the Obama administration line!