John Edwards Trial Begins in North Carolina

John Edwards, former senator and vice presidential candidate for Al Gore, arrived in federal court in Greensboro, North Carolina yesterday to face charges that he improperly used campaign funds to cover up an affair he had with campaign videographer Rielle Hunter, even as his wife, Elizabeth Edwards, was battling cancer. For the record, Al Gore and Edwards have now both been found to have been cheating on their wives and had their marriages end. A dream ticket, indeed – these two would have made Bill Clinton’s dalliances with Monica Lewinsky seem tame by comparison.

More to the point now, however, is the fact that Edwards will face six criminal counts, including conspiracy, four counts of having received illegal campaign contributions and one count of making false statements in connection with allegedly seeking and then spending roughly $925,000 to cover up his affair. If Edwards were to be convicted on these counts, he would face up to 30 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines.

Noted Edwards’ friend and longtime acquaintance Glenn Bergenfield, "He knows he made mistakes. But John thinks that the treatment of him is so unflinchingly horrible and that what he did is not so different from what others did - JFK, Clinton, the whole rogues' gallery. We've had this conversation about his situation, and I remember he did compare it to Clinton. He said, 'I did a horrendous thing, but I don't know why I'm getting such an unforgiving treatment when you think of what other people have done." At a guess, Mr. Edwards, it’s because you did what you did while your wife had cancer. Again…just a guess.