John Edwards trial: aide’s relationship ‘broke down after baby was born to mistress’

Edwards’ attorneys will get a chance to cross examine Young later on Wednesday.

Mr Young testified that he flew to Texas with his wife to meet with one of the
wealthy donors, Fred Baron, with four demands. He wanted to know why Mr
Edwards had not claimed paternity; he wanted a face-to-face meeting with
him; he wanted to know what his long-term plans were and he wanted to stop
living with Hunter.

Mr Baron arranged for Miss Hunter to move out of a California house she was
sharing with the Youngs, and he set up the face-to-face meeting.

At the June 2008 meeting, Edwards had just given a speech for then-Democratic
presidential candidate Barack Obama, and he was telling people that Obama
would pick him for vice president, Young testified. That meant the child’s
paternity needed to remain a secret.

The meeting grew intense, and Edwards and Young started yelling at each other
before Young left.

Mr Edwards is accused of directing Young to start giving money to Hunter in
May 2007, after she threatened to go to the media and expose the affair.
Edwards suggested asking elderly heiress Rachel “Bunny” Mellon,
who had already given generously to the campaign.

Prosecutors showed the jury checks from Ms Mellon written to her interior
designer, who would then endorse them and send them to Andrew and his wife,
Cheri. Starting in June 2007, Ms Mellon would eventually provide checks
totalling $750,000.

Without telling Mellon what the money would be used for beyond that it was a “non-campaign”
expense, Young said she offered to provide $1.2 million over time to help
pay for the candidate’s personal needs.

Under federal law, donors are limited to giving a maximum of $2,300 per
election cycle.

Source: AP

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