Edwards verdict: Government's case failed over Young's credibility

(CBS News) On Thursday, John Edwards, the former vice presidential nominee, was acquitted of one count of campaign finance fraud in connection with his run for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. The jury reported that it was hopelessly deadlocked on five other counts. So the judge declared a mistrial on those counts, ending the case.

How did the government fail its case? CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley spoke with Erin Moriarty of "48 Hours Mystery," who has been watching testimony in the courtroom.

Pelley: What appeared to be the central flaw in the government's case?

Moriarty: I think, simply put, it's Andrew Young, the government's key witness. The government built its case on his testimony. He's the one who said that John Edwards solicited the money from the two wealthy donors, then used it to hide his girlfriend from the American public as part of his campaign. But during cross-examination, Andrew Young had to admit that he used more than a million dollars of that money for his own house and I think his credibility was severely damaged [up] to that point.

Pelley: He used that money to build his own house -- he essentially stole it, is what he said.

Moriarty: He did and he was double dealing. He actually told one donor that he owed money and that he had already paid that with Bunny Mellon's money.

Pelley: So can prosecutors try again?

Moriarty: They can, and we saw that in the Roger Clemens case. But they are stuck with Andrew Young. I don't think it's likely they will.

Edwards not guilty on 1 count; mistrial declared on other 5 counts

[jmn122736]

dennisall77 said: "this was a purely political case, and the jury knew it."
----------------------------

I Agree, and furthermore I will be surprised if the case is NOT retried.

The republicans (read corporations) will take advantage of any thing they are presented with (or anything they can fabricate) to win the presidency if possible, but most important of all, to regain full control of both houses of congress. And after the Bush/Cheney fiasco they need a lot.

I remember the 1990's republican charade against Clinton. While the republicans were not successful in taking over the presidency from Clinton, they managed to maintain control of both houses of congress for 12 years (including the first 6 years of the Bush/Cheney administration).

The average American tends to think that the president makes all the laws, but the fact is that while Presidents have Veto power they cannot legislate any new laws nor can they prevent veto-override to pass any law they may not want.

[Montana5]

OK, who is losing their job and when at the Dept of Justice for this stupid decision to prosecute Edwards? This money could have spent on much better projects like maybe ATF gun stings at the Mexican border or perjury prosecutions of baseball players who deny they took PEDs.

[tomdegan58]

John Edwards told us yesterday that God is not through with him. Was that a hint? Is he implying that he'll be back as a public figure? Don't hold your breath.

John Edwards is finished as a public person. Richard Nixon was able to slither his way back from Watergate to become a respected (by some) author and foreign policy adviser. A scandal involving prostitutes ended the political career of New York governor Elliot Spitzer. Today he is the host of a program on Al Gore's Current TV and is doing quite well for himself. These guys - and more than a few like them - are proof that (contrary to the old adage) there are indeed second acts in American life. There will be no second act for John Edwards. His carefully scripted play has closed for good. When this public humiliation is all over he will disappear. He will pop up in an occasional "Whatever became of" article but that's about it. You will never see or hear from him again.

Without Barack Obama as part of the equation, Edwards might very well have gotten the Democratic nomination four years ago. Had that happened, the scandal would have broken just after the convention. It would have killed the progressive cause on Election Day - and Sarah Palin would today be a seventy-six-year-old heart beat away from the presidency. That's beyond reckless on the part of John Edwards. That borders on the criminally insane.

The funny thing is that according to those in a position to know, Edwards made his name as a politician for no other reason than the fact that he was a he was a world champion BS artist; the trial lawyer supreme. He was absolutely clueless on all matters of foreign and domestic policy. Those close to him say that he never read or studied anything. It was noticed by the press that whenever he traveled he never had any reading or writing material in his possession. It can be said without exaggeration that the guy spent more money per year on haircuts than he did on books. This was an empty suit - shallow, self-absorbed, totally void of substance.

Does he deserve to go to prison for thirty years? I don't think so. It's not clear to me that these were in fact "campaign funds" that were used to keep Rielle Hunter quiet and comfy. I can't see him doing any time in the slammer quite frankly. His punishment has already been imposed. He will be remembered by history as a scoundrel and a fool. His sentence will be political Siberia. It must be the bitterest of pills for him to swallow. Bon appetit, Johnny.

http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com/

Tom Degan

[CitySoap]

John Edwards is (what my grandmother would call) a stinker.

This prosecution was just plain wrong. The case was icky from the get go. Andrew and Cheri Young come off looking like grifters. Not a sympathetic character to found in this morality play.

[samXXkiley]

coucou,
the verdict was predictable, American judicial system cannot punish
a practice which is current in USA, because John Edwards is surely not the only one.
"au revoir"