Federal grand jury opens John Edwards investigation

[Stinky The Clown]

Full story here: http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_17120299?nclick_check=1

Four paragraph clip follows:

WASHINGTON - A federal criminal investigation targeting John Edwards is examining how much the two-time presidential candidate knew about money used to cover up his extramarital affair and out-of-wedlock child and whether other practices of his violated campaign finance laws, people involved in the case have told The Associated Press.

A federal grand jury in Raleigh, N.C., is sifting records and testimony involving several political organizations and individuals connected to Edwards to determine if the former North Carolina senator and 2004 vice presidential nominee broke any laws. A recently issued subpoena focuses on a web of these Edwards-affiliated groups, according to subpoena details provided to the AP that offer a glimpse behind the closed doors of the investigation.

The case largely stems from money spent to keep Edwards' mistress, Rielle Hunter, in hiding along with former campaign aide Andrew Young, who initially claimed paternity so Edwards could continue pursuing the White House without the taint of the affair.

Investigators are looking chiefly at whether funds paid to Hunter and Young - from outside political groups and Edwards' political donors - should have been considered campaign donations since they arguably aided his presidential bid, according to several people involved in the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing probe. They're also looking closely at whether any entities linked to Edwards operated illegally.

I searched this forum and Greatest page for dupes. None found.

[Blue Owl]

1. better they get to the bottom of this

than the missing $2 TRILLION our own freaking Pentagon can't account for.

[FreakinDJ]

2. Another Kenneth Star is Born

Not to say what Edwards did wasn't reprehensible - but this is going to be just the beginning of an endless procession of fruitless Congressional Investigations now that the GOP is back in town

[msanthrope]

15. This isn't Congress.

This is the feds.

[Fumesucker]

3. Dubya and Snarl meanwhile are free of any hint of investigation..

Clearly, misusing campaign funds (possibly) is a far more severe offense than ordering torture.

Edited for punctuation.

[FreakinDJ]

4. not to mention "Crimes against Humanity"

[midnight]

5. What on earth our we wasting tax payer money on this for?

[Fumesucker]

6. It's a fantastic distraction that will keep Democrats tied up for some time..

It will give Republicans a great window to paint Democrats as corrupt, hence it will get a lot of play in the M$M.

Drop an anvil on your toe and it hurts, have a Democratic sex scandal and it gets media coverage out the wazoo, one is as predictable as the other.

[Gaedel]

8. This is an executive branch investigation

This is unrelated to the GOP election victories of Nov 2010.

[Fumesucker]

10. I understood that..

I'm waiting for the Democrats to either discover or remember that they aren't in an actual foot-shooting contest.

I know you're not supposed to attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity but..

[customerserviceguy]

7. What if Johnny had managed to get the nomination?

If Barack Obama had passed on trying for it in 2008, it could well have happened. The revelations about his adultery, the denying of his child, and the misuse of campaign funds would have exploded in the late summer and fall of 2008, and we'd be calling McInsane the President, and Caribou Barbie the VP. DADT would have still been the law of the land, no matter how the Congressional elections went.

It's difficult to complain about Prissy Chrissy from Delaware, then ignore the same thing when it goes on in our party.

[Stinky The Clown]

14. That's a valid argument

[struggle4progress]

13. Because Bushista US Attorney George E. B. Holding is still in office

[TroglodyteScholar]

9. Hoboy

:popcorn:

[rainbow4321]

11. Let me guess, they get married ASAP and there will be spousal immunity

So anything SHE knows about the money flow from back then cannot be gotten/used.

[Hannah Bell]

12. important stuff compared to the mass rapes perpetrated by the financial class or the lies of the

bush admin that brought us to war.

not.

what a joke.

[spanone]

16. meanwhile, cheney is free to appear on the today show in the morning

and bu$h* writes a book

and condi and rumsfeld and all the real criminals are free as butterflies

[mfcorey1]

17. What about Ensign?