A federal judge will hear arguments Oct. 26 on the request by former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards to have the charges against him dismissed.
Edwards stands accused of campaign finance law violations for using secret contributions by two rich supporters to conceal his pregnant mistress, Rielle Hunter, from the public spotlight during his ill-fated 2008 presidential run.
Prosecutors contend that the gifts exceeded legal limits and were campaign contributions because they intended to advance Edwards’ presidential campaign.
Defense attorneys counter that Edwards was trying to hide the affair and pregnancy from his ex-wife, the late Elizabeth Edwards, and that the hundreds of thousands of dollars were gifts from his wealthy friends to others, not him.
Edwards’ lawyers filed the motion to dismiss the case on September 6, accusing George E.B. Holding, the Republican former U.S. Attorney in Raleigh with close ties to Edwards’ old adversary, the late former Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), of trying to launch his own political career by pursuing a “vindictive” and politically motivated case based on “[an] abuse of prosecutorial discretion.”
Holding is now running for a congressional seat from North Carolina, and prominently displays the fact that he brought the case against Edwards on his campaign’s website.
Justice Department officials said the case against Edwards was not only handled by Holding, but by career prosecutors in Washington. They also said that Holding and other DOJ officials made a decision not to pursue the Edwards case until after the 2008 election, fearing allegations that they were attempting to influence the election by prosecuting Edwards.
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