Legal Commentary

Feds Issue New Subpoenas in John Edwards Investigation

By Jeralyn

Twenty new grand jury subpoenas have been issued in the federal investigation into whether John Edwards violated campaign financing rules with respect to money the campaign provided Rielle Hunter.

The subpoenas were ordered at the behest of Main Justice:

According to our source, when that process wrapped-up, prosecutors in Raleigh sent the case to the Department of Justice in Washington for a review. The Justice Department then told prosecutors in Raleigh to interview more people and get more information about the people who donated money to help Edwards' former aide Andrew Young, his wife and Rielle Hunter live a life on the run.

It sounds like the investigation has moved from whether the payments to Rielle were legitimate to whether there was hush money paid afterwards. The relocation expenses were purportedly paid by now-deceased attorney Fred Baron, who was Edwards' campaign manager in 2004 and 2008. He told the Dallas Morning News: [More...]

He said Ms. Hunter and another Edwards aide, Andrew Young, who claimed paternity of Ms. Hunter's child, were being dogged by tabloid reporters chasing rumors of the affair and pregnancy.

"I made a decision on my own, without talking to Edwards or anybody, to try to help them move to a community to try to get away from those folks," Mr. Baron said.

He said he used his own money – not campaign funds – but did not disclose how much he provided. Both Ms. Hunter, who now lives in Santa Barbara, Calif., and Mr. Young worked under Mr. Baron for the campaign.

So, who's under investigation now? It can't be Fred Baron since he's no longer alive. Is it John Edwards...or Rielle Hunter and/or Andrew Young and his wife?

It could be the Justice Department doesn't believe (a) Fred Baron provided the funds or (b) used his own money or [c] provided the funds without the knowledge of John Edwards. Or, it could be John Edwards is cleared, Baron's version checks out, and they are investigating whether Rielle Hunter and/or the Youngs failed to tell the truth and committed obstruction of justice-type offenses.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on October 06, 2010 (boomark / email).