John Edwards Witness Changes Testimony on the Stand [View all]

[cali]

Source: ABC


A key witness in John Edwards' defense waffled today on the stand, changing his testimony about whether Edwards had told him that money obtained from a wealthy donor was for his "benefit" and was used to provide for his mistress and love child.

Wade Smith, a North Carolina trial lawyer who has represented Edwards, initially denied telling the attorney for wealthy backer Rachel "Bunny" Mellon that Edwards acknowledged the receipt or hundreds of thousands of dollars in what became known as "Bunny money."

Alex Forger, Mellon's lawyer, testified last week that he called Smith in an attempt to find out why the elderly philanthropist was writing so many checks. Forger asked Smith if the money was a gift for Edwards and whether Mellon should declare it as such on her taxes.

Smith got back to Forger telling him, "John Edwards has said he acknowledges now that this was for his benefit," Forger testified last week.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/key-john-edwards-witness-testimony-stand/story?id=16346087#.T7LE5lJ9Z_Y

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I don't understand why the defense is insisting that JE didn't know about the money from Mellon and Baron and at the same time insisting that he covered it up to avoid his wife's wrath and not for political purposes. The lie about his not knowing was blown apart today- again by the prosecution introducing emails indicating that he did know.

In any case, JE just keeps looking slimier and slimier.