John Edwards Associate Rushes To His Defense

Adviser Puts Forth Explanation For Campaign Payments To Former Presidential Candidate's Mistress

August 15. 2008

John Edwards

An adviser to former presidential candidate John Edwards stated today, the $14,000 payment to his one time mistress, Rielle Hunter, was for unused footage she filmed for his website that was turned in for financial compensation.

Elizabeth Edwards and their children

Some outlets openly asked if the money constituted payments regarding their now publicized affair and her pregnancy, with individuals stating he is the father of her newborn baby, though Edwards denies it.

Rielle Hunter

Edwards' ally explains $14,000 payment to mistress

Aug 15, 6:21 AM (ET) - WASHINGTON (AP) - A $14,000 payment to John Edwards' mistress from the candidate's political action committee - after she stopped working for it - was made in exchange for 100 hours of unused videotape she shot producing short Web movies for which she already had been paid $100,000, an associate of Edwards told The Associated Press...

But the earlier, $14,000 payment to Hunter is significant because its source was Edwards' OneAmerica political action committee, whose expenditures are governed by U.S. election laws. Willfully converting money from a political action committee for personal use would have been a federal criminal violation...

http://apnews.myway.com