Edwards Charges Likely Today

Interior designer testifies about how 'Bunny' Mellon funneled cash to Edwards

(NEWSER) - Rachel "Bunny" Mellon didn't just throw money at John Edwards because she liked his liberal platform. A close friend of the 101-year-old testified yesterday that the millionaire heiress had something of a crush on the senator, the New York Post reports. "She liked how he looked, what he espoused, and what good he could do for the country," interior designer Bryan Huffman said, adding that Mellon became "euphoric" whenever a flirtatious Edwards showed up, and that his phone calls "always made her extremely happy." More»

Andrew Young testifies in campaign finance trial

(NEWSER) - Andrew Young, who also once pretended to be the father of Rielle Hunter's baby to cover for former boss John Edwards, took the stand at Edwards' campaign finance trial yesterday—and he was a mess. He got flustered, gave conflicting (and at least once, wrong) answers, and constantly asked for questions to be repeated—and this was while being questioned by his own side, the prosecution. After a performance like that, the Washington Post's Melinda Henneberger predicts that "he stands a very good chance of being ripped apart by the defense" during cross-examination today. Highlights from his testimony, via the Post, the AP , and the News-Record : More»

Plus, how many Americans like him? Not many: poll

(NEWSER) - It's not a great day for John Edwards: As his trial begins, a CBS News poll finds that just 3% have a favorable view of the former politician, and the New York Post reports that even his romance with Rielle Hunter—who will likely be called to testify—has petered out. Politico lists six things to watch during the campaign finance trial:

• How will campaign finance be affected? Though, as Politico points out, "few candidates pay their mistresses," politicians do tend to rack up other personal expenses. One activist fears that if Edwards is convicted, it will encourage campaigns to foot the bill for those costs by suggesting "every bit of money a candidate spends could be seen as in furtherance of his campaign and therefore … a candidate can use campaign funds for almost anything."

Reclusive donor is at heart of campaign finance indictment

(NEWSER) - Why did millionaire philanthropist Rachel "Bunny" Mellon give John Edwards $725,000 : to save his presidential campaign or to hide his extramarital affair from his wife? That question, at the heart of Edwards' indictment on charges of campaign finance violations, has thrust the reclusive Mellon into the spotlight. But her motivations may have been quite simple: "It's a crush," her upset grandson, who testified before the Edwards grand jury, tells Meryl Gordon in an in-depth Newsweek profile of the heiress. Mellon herself, who hadn't given an extended interview in more than 25 years, tells Gordon she and Edwards were "great friends," and that she was "so surprised when this thing came up." More»

Sources say candidate acknowledged payments to pregnant mistress

(NEWSER) - Prosecutors possess evidence from John Edwards' own emails that help prove a key part of the case against him and make his decision to opt for a trial instead of a plea bargain look even riskier, sources tell AP . In the emails, Edwards and his former speechwriter, Wendy Button, discuss a draft statement in which he acknowledges paternity of his child with Rielle Hunter and knowledge of payments to keep her in hiding, the sources say. More»