101-Year-Old Donor Had Crush on Edwards

Interior designer testifies about how 'Bunny' Mellon funneled cash to Edwards
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted May 4, 2012 10:48 AM CDT
101-Year-Old Donor Had Crush on Edwards
John Edwards is seen in this file photo.   (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

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."

The only thing about Edwards Mellon didn't like was his wife; at one point, she told him not to bother visiting if Elizabeth was with him. On a more serious note, Huffman also testified that he and Mellon had set up an antique furniture business primarily to funnel around $725,000 to Edwards without arousing suspicion from Mellon's money managers, the AP reports. Huffman recalled getting a $100,000 check from Mellon labeled "Antique Charleston Table"—even though the money was definitely not going toward a table. "Our furniture business did not really involve furniture," he said. "It was money for Sen. Edwards." (More John Edwards stories.)

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