John Edwards extramarital affair
In August 2008, Edwards admitted to an extramarital affair, which was initially reported in December 2007 by the National Enquirer[1] but was given little attention outside the tabloid press and political blogosphere.
However, it became clear that Edwards continued the affair even after he and his wife made a joint announcement that her cancer had returned and was found to be terminal.
[11][12][13][14] Hunter had pitched the idea of creating the series to Edwards when she met him at a bar in New York City, where he was attending a business meeting.
[15] The campaign paid Hunter's production company, Midline Groove, over USD$100,000 for the short documentaries[16] that were uploaded to YouTube upon completion.
[20] On October 10, 2007, the National Enquirer published an article claiming that Edwards had engaged in an extramarital affair with an unnamed female campaign worker.
On the same day, Stein published another article in The Huffington Post that contained additional details about Hunter, including her name and the web videos that she had produced.
"[23][24][25] Hunter's attorney issued a denial via Jerome Armstrong, a political blogger and founder of MyDD, stating, "The innuendos and lies that have appeared on the internet and in the National Enquirer concerning John Edwards are not true, completely unfounded and ridiculous.
[29][30] CBS News journalist Bob Schieffer, when asked about the allegations on Imus in the Morning, stated, "I believe that's a story that we will be avoiding, because it appears to me that there's absolutely nothing to it ...
"[31] Mickey Kaus, a journalist at Slate, speculated that the lack of mainstream coverage was motivated by a desire not to harm Elizabeth Edwards, who was fighting cancer at the time.
"[48] On July 25, in response to a question as to whether The Washington Post was investigating the claims, political reporter Jonathan Weisman stated, "Yes, and to be quite honest, we're waiting to see the pictures the National Enquirer says it will publish this weekend.
[52] On August 8, in response to a high number of e-mails to the Times, National Editor Scott Kraft stated that "this strikes us as a legitimate story".
[69] Others voiced contempt for tabloid papers like the Enquirer[65][70][71] and compared the coverage to that of a scandal involving Republican Senator Larry Craig.
[78] On July 31, a late-night talk program played part of a David Letterman "Top 10" list that alluded to the charges.
[79][80] On August 8, in a statement that coincided with the Opening Ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games,[81] Edwards admitted to the affair but denied he was the father of the child, expressing his willingness to take a paternity test.
But being 99 percent honest is no longer enough ...[82]On the same day, Elizabeth Edwards released a statement that first appeared on the liberal blog, The Daily Kos.
She also said that she hoped people would watch the interview that aired later that night on the ABC News program Nightline, in which her husband admitted the affair to Woodruff.
"[83] On August 12, a friend of Hunter's, Pigeon O'Brien, informed CBS News that Edwards had lied about the timeline of the affair.
O'Brien also stated that the affair was not a brief liaison, but a mutual, committed relationship based on love, or so Edwards had led Hunter to believe.
Marshall also stated that, in the days after the story broke, Edwards provided Hunter and her baby with a new and secret domicile to prevent media reporters from finding her.
[85] That same day, an article from CBS News reported that, "Edwards may be in legal jeopardy if it could be shown that [campaign] funds were used for purposes other than the ones that they had been assigned for.
But it would be hard to argue that the body politic is not enriched by the recent revelations that Mr. Edwards is not who we thought he was, even balanced against the many stories the Enquirer gets wrong.'
(Even in his confession, Mr. Edwards wrinkled his nose and suggested that the allegations had originated with 'supermarket tabloids', as if the method of conveyance absolved him of the deeds described.
Mainstream news organizations subsequently obtained a copy of the birth certificate,[90] confirming that a girl had been born at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital on February 27, 2008.
[16][95] WCNC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina, reported that Edwards' political career was "effectively frozen", pending resolution of the allegations.
According to Donald Fowler, former Democratic National Committee chair, "If there is not an explanation that's satisfactory, acceptable and meets high moral standards, the answer is 'no,' [Edwards] would not be a prime candidate to make a major address to the convention."
Former congressman David Bonior, Edwards' 2008 presidential campaign manager, stated: "Thousands of friends of the senator and his supporters have put their faith and confidence in him, and he's let them down.
When asked about Edwards' future in public service, Bonior further stated, "You can't lie in politics and expect to have people's confidence.
"[99] In May 2009, ABC News political correspondent George Stephanopoulos reported that Edwards campaign staffers became cognizant of the affair in early 2008.
Staff members said that if it appeared Edwards was on his way to winning the Democratic nomination, they intended to sabotage his campaign for the benefit of the party.
"[101] However, in August 2006, several staffers—including Josh Brumberger, Kim Rubey, and David Ginsberg—had strong suspicions about the affair and left the campaign over concerns about Hunter.
