E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSFormer presidential candidate John Edwards has been cleared of all remaining finance corruption charges. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
Former presidential candidate John Edwards’ legal troubles are over. Judge Catherine Eagles on Wednesday signed an order dismissing all five counts on which a jury had been unable to reach a verdict. The government had asked that the charges be dismissed, eliminating the threat that Edwards could face another trial.
A jury on May 31 acquitted Edwards on one felony count of receiving illegal campaign contributions, but deadlocked on the remaining five counts he misused money from two wealthy donors to hide his pregnant mistress, Rielle Hunter, while he ran for president.
Jurors acquitted Edwards on a charge of accepting illegal campaign contributions, involving $375,000 from elderly heiress Rachel "Bunny" Mellon in 2008. He had also been charged with illegally accepting $350,000 from Mellon in 2007, other donations from wealthy Texas attorney Fred Baron, filing a false campaign finance report and conspiracy.
See previous coverage of John Edwards’ trial
Chuck Burton / AP
John Edwards
“The jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict on five of the six counts of the indictment, however, and we respect their judgment,” Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said in a prepared statement. “ In the interest of justice, we have decided not to retry Mr. Edwards on those counts."
In a statement, Edwards' lawyers said:
"As we stated in our motions and arguments in court, the novel theory of campaign law violations charged by the Justice Department is not a crime. It should be addressed, if at all, by the Federal Election Commission, which our evidence showed seems to have agreed with our views on the law. While John has repeatedly admitted to his sins, he has also consistently asserted, as we demonstrated at the trial, that he did not violate any campaign law nor even imagined that any campaign laws could apply. We are confident that the outcome of any new trial would have been the same."
Hunter earlier this month announced she's coming out with a tell-all book. People Magazine reported the book, titled "What Really Happened," will hit stores June 26. In it, Hunter says the two are still in love.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Witness says Sandusky threatened him unless he kept quiet
- Metallica helps FBI try to track down killer of Virginia Tech student
- Blinded soldier aims for Paralympic Games in London
- Boy Scouts board member opposes anti-gay policy
- Video: Caught on camera: Toddler tossed during car chase
Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
I'm happy about the decision. I bet a friend of mine $100 that they would not retry him and he would walk back inot the world of scuzz a free man..
what no comments on how it's Bush's fault?
Hey come on if you all had money you could get off of anything too, if he was on the legal aid they would of said plead guilty this is justic and dont forget it more to come.,,
This only goes to show the ignorance of the general public. The selection of the jury must have been a "perfect storm", a bunch of bleeding heart liberals who looks at Edwards and thinks, "What a nice looking man and I would hate to ruin his career, sob, sob". Give me an airbag, quick!
Is there still time for another run for the party's nomination?
YOU HAVE A FORTUNE?? THE LAW CAN'T TOUCH YOU!!!
Want to hear a JOKE???
On May 31, 2012, after nine days of deliberation by a jury, Edwards was found not guilty on one of four counts of illegal campaign contributions. Mistrials were declared on the five other counts against Edwards, which included conspiracy and false statements.
Romney will make John Edwards his V.P. pick!!
Different political parties there AJ.
why not?? joke is on you
This only proves that the general public is ignorant. The jury selection was a perfect storm. Like the O.J. jury, they were a bunch of liberals, who probably thought, "Gee, what a nice looking man. I would hate to ruin his career, sob, sob" I want to throw up. Look at this piece of garbage. He cheated on his dying wife, he lied and defrauded an old lady billionaire, he lied about the affair, lied about the fact it was his kid, and got his "friend to lie for him and paid him off to do it! So much for the integrity of the general public.
Retgman, True, but if he wasn't under oath none of this behavior was illegal. Creepy, but not illegal.
Although John Edwards seems to be a @!$%#ty husband, the government in their zealotry really screwed the pooch this time. Probably Republican prosecutors, yes they are I see. Ha ha ha. Good way to spend taxpayers money.
Not the prosecutors fault, they brought the charges! You can blame your flaming liberal jurors.
GOOD! I am glad that they dropped all counts against him. No one cared when BUSH lied about the war or the fact that Romney is a greedy selfish crook that destroys jobs. So... I don't care if they drop charges or give him a medal. What's the difference in this country...everyone ignores the truth if it does not fit into his or her personal agenda.
I detect some bitterness. We must all TRY to pursue the truth, it's not a perfect world just look at Edwards, that floating piece of flotsome jetsome.
The truth is ignored everyday and people only care when they are on the other end of it. In our legal system is not about what is true or fair. It is about what one can prove and what is legal. Just keeping it real!
I think it is time to focus on what will make America better. So far, we have accomplished nothing with all these rich snobby politicians. Maybe we need a poor person with a brain to run this country. I forgot -- you need money to campaign and prestige to win -- the brain part doesn't count.
They lie and cover up everything they do it a different set of laws
Hey Retgman. You are voicing your opinion, you have no proof. They have nothing but hate on John Edwards. Kind of like You.
Time to get that law degree and hassle some Democrat politician.
The proof is obvious. He is on video lying his posterior off about all the facts, and he used the money for illegal purposes. The jury is just a bunch of morons.
Ahhh, who said money couldn't buy happiness?
It's very simple. Who did John Edwards pay off?
....oh wait, my bad, attorneys are all paid to lie.
Just .... WTF !
Edwards career is over, his relationship with his family will be an issue for many years to come, and who will want someone can lie without a thought around them. His life will be changed. He is sleezy and immoral; however, he is not a criminal.
yes,you are so right . he only had sex!!
Are politicians just naturally slick or do they have to grease up every morning?
Only a *&^%$! politician could get away with something like this!! Any regular citizen would have been slammed on all counts - this is absolutely humiliating to any law abiding citizen in America.
This is almost enough to make me want to become a Democrat!
P A R T N E R S in C R I M E have to maintain each others backs because they are all doing the same crimes vs us dba the USA while we work til we drop dead and are thrown in a ditch...
Gutless wonders...
This nation has gone so corrupt...there is nothing that is not.
Our nation has been warned: greedy, deceptive EVIL has taken us to the bring of our USA sovereignty...with the USA Giveaway...
and way from being the hub of the world as One Nation Under GOD...
PS And if anyone has been on a JURY most of just plain stupid and believe every lie being told by the bottom of the scum--attorneys 2-faced jackels...
LMFAO!
Hate to say "I told you so", but...
The thing that gets me is he made millions "channeling babies" and actually had a shot at the presidency.
We are incapable of electing any competent government and instead rely on simple slogans,smoke,mirrors,and snake oil.
Oh well face it,our time is over.
And save your various political ideology's to wipe your ass with when the toilet paper runs out.
john needs to stick it too the opnes whom wanted him in jail. he needs to come back strong and fight ever time . look at bill Clinton,as president he was getting blow jobs in the white house. now,to me he is the one whom should have been kicked out of office for the tarnish he bought the office of this country.
now,for all whom think he is a dirtball for having sex with this bimbo,just think he did not hurt or kill anyone. he was getting sex from someone else. the sex in his marriage had probably stopped long ago. look at the Kennedy whom was drunk and got his female killed by driving off the bridge drunk. now,where i am from common sense will tell you this guy was drunk and should have been put in jail! john all he had was plan with a compatible person. i know lots will think of this hard,but he had needs also.
I knew this would happen. Now in four years he'll hit the campaign trail again as if nothing ever happened. slime is slime.
America has no control over it's politicians. And that's what happens right before a nation goes insane, like Germany did in 1933.