Is John Edwards a criminal?

[struggle4progress]

y Ruth Marcus, Published: May 15

The prosecution has rested in a case that should never have been brough ... Edwards has been proved to be ... an egocentric cad ...

But a criminal? Nothing ... so far has shaken my view that this ... is an unfortunate instance of prosecutorial indiscretion ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-john-edwards-a-criminal/2012/05/15/gIQAgnhISU_story.html

[PDJane]

1. He's got ego galore, and a jerk who allows his genitalia to rule......

But that's not the same thing as being a criminal.

He's not the only one out there.

[Suji to Seoul]

9. Kennedy, Kennedy, Roosevelt, Washington, Eisenhower, Clinton. . .come on

let's not start judging our pols by where they put their dicks. It comes with the territory.

I don't care who he screws. That was between him and Elizabeth. As long has the policies he espouses do not screw the country, he can become the literal father of the country.

[blueknight]

2. i dont know

but he is a despicable human and a piece of shit

[onehandle]

3. No. This is a political sideshow designed to cast mud on the Democratic Party. nt

[struggle4progress]

4. And, more particularly, to advance the career of Republican George Holding who (following

his primary victory last week) hopes to win the NC-13 Congressional District this fall: the prosecution of Edwards was Holding's baby

[ProfessionalLeftist]

11. +1 n/t

[andlor]

10. +1

[mahina]

5. I don't know but he's redefined 'douchebag'.

Thank God he wasn't elected. Imagine the hubris, to be such a f'ing worm and imagine you are good enough to be President, or vice President.

Elizabeth deserved so much better.

He makes me want to puke. What he did with the money should be illegal, if it isn't.

[Roselma]

6. He's a dirtbag, but I don't know if he

actually committed a crime by misappropriating funds that were supposed to be campaign donations. I have the feeling that the rich people who gave money to hide the affair didn't consider it to be a campaign contribution.

[JDPriestly]

7. No. Not a criminal.

A fool. Yes. But not a criminal.

This Washington Post article explains exactly why not.

[unc70]

8. Not a criminal, not even "guilty" of main allegations

Last edited Thu May 17, 2012, 01:59 PM - Edit history (1)

Certainly lots of bad behavior involving the affair itself. But many of the claims about him seem to have been disproved during the trial. Andrew Young appears to have fabricated a lot of conversations that could not have happened as described.

Wonder what the current value is for the movie deal Young has with Ari Emanuel (Rahm's brother)? Suspect it has decreased dramatically since almost all the money supposedly involved was actually used to build Young's new dream house outside Chapel Hill.

[FogerRox]

12. If the campaign had spent the money, that would be illegal

How does buying off a mistress with outside money come under the purview of the FEC? HOw is it illegal?

AS much as I despise what Edwards did....... and what he risked, if he had won........ MFin, CSin SOB.