Where’s the trial lawyer bringing a class action on behalf of all of the people who were defrauded when they gave money to John Edwards’s presidential campaign? It’s certainly a much more plausible claim of causation, reliance, and financial injury than the typical class action.
More seriously, I hope someone somewhere is investigating whether Fred Baron violated federal campaign finance law when he set aside tens of thousands of dollars to pay Rielle Hunter hush money without disclosing the payments on behalf of Edwards. Edwards said he was in the Beverly Hilton to help keep the story from becoming public, which makes it seem unlikely he’s telling the truth when he said that he had no knowledge that Baron moved Hunter to California. Alas, ABC didn’t ask the right follow-up questions, such as how Edwards thought meeting Hunter in a hotel room would help keep the story quiet. And “Fred Baron” appears nowhere in the New York Times story, even as he is a major fund-raiser for Barack Obama today. Obama is still running for president, right?
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do not give them ideas!!
http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/8/john-edwards-affair-hush-money-laundered-through-youtube-
John Edwards – You Tube – Hush Money
Wonder if Dickie Scruggs is looking for a roommate?
I don’t find hush money laundered through disclosed campaign expenditures legally problematic, though I’d be kind of upset to learn that my campaign contribution to John Edwards was going to fund his sexual flings. But one can find hundreds of thousands of dollars of frivolous expenditures in any presidential campaign if one pores through the filings.
The undisclosed in-kind payments to Hunter and Young, however, seem potentially problematic.
You’re gonna make me wish I’d donated – NOT!
What about all the North Carolinians who were “defrauded” by our Senator’s peculiar brand of “representation”?
did he lie during all the malpractice cases
I’m not entirely certain of the circumstances, but hush money would likely not be an “electioneering” expense, and thus not necessarily required to be reported.
@9, that doesn’t seem dispositive. For example, wouldn’t it be illegal for Fred Baron to rent a $19,000/month house for Edwards personally? That’s not electioneering, either.
Why isn’t Travis County DA Ronnie Earle looking into this potential campaign finance violation with the same zeal he did with Republican Tom DeLay’s alleged misdeeds?
hmmm….what could be the difference?
If Baron gave Hunter (and Young) as much money as the news media is saying, it’s a taxable gift. If memory serves, you can only give someone $10k per year before it’s reportable and taxable. The idea is to keep parents from avoiding the estate tax by “giving” their entire estate to their kids, on their death bed.
Wonder if either Baron or Hunter or Young acknowledged these taxable gifts?
What I like the best is the lefts attempts to spin this.
Typical of the left, they see no problem with Edwards and his behavior.
They certainly don’t care about Edwards screwing his own children over. Oh and the kid is his. Bet on it.
The left really saw no problem with Clinton’s behavior, so why would Edward’s disturb them?
I agree JAG. The child is Edward’s.
Leslie
http://www.legaledpro.com
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