John Edwards lands "heavy hitter" in Greg Craig

[The Straight Story]

(CBS News) The latest addition to former Sen. John Edwards' legal team is a "pretty heavy hitter" with a long resume of high profile cases and bosses.


Greg Craig, who represented both Presidents Clinton and Obama, is the newest member of Edwards' team as the former presidential candidate hopes to avoid indictment for violating campaign finance laws.


In fact, CBS News has learned that while the hiring of Craig has just recently become public, he was actually brought on six weeks ago, reports CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford. He left his post as President Obama's counsel in January 2010.


News of Craig's addition comes as speculation grows that a federal grand jury is wrapping up its investigation into whether Edwards improperly used campaign funds to hide his mistress, Rielle Hunter.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/04/earlyshow/main20039201.shtml

[dionysus]

1. i hope it costs that clown a fortune.

[PBS Poll-435]

5. The irony of it all...

nt

[dionysus]

6. hey, if it's too expensive and he needs more money, he can auction off his most excellent hairpiece.

or sell some cupcakes

:P

[PBS Poll-435]

8. They are saving that toupee for the Smithsonian

Along with his little black book.

[dionysus]

9. "Here lies the hairpiece of notorious cad Jonathan Edwards."

:spray:

[driver8]

2. Man, what a scumbag John Edwards turned out to be!! n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

3. It would less expensive to just tell the truth.

[karynnj]

4. This really sounds like he expects to be indicted

If he did use campaign funds for Rielle, he crossed a real line. I saw many posts here from people who spoke enough of their own lives to see that the contributions they freely made to Edwards, because he inspired them were genuine sacrifices. It is also disturbing that the Poverty Center was mostly a way to fund the people developing JRE's 2008 platform - and that some of that money went to Rielle's videos is just wrong. You can make a case that informal videos professionally made for a campaign to put on a candidate's web site benefit a campaign - but what do they have to do with the goals of the Poverty center?

Still, it is hard not to think of the lovely Cate Edwards, who has had to deal with the loss of her mom and all the mess of the last 3 years at a time where she should be happily starting her own life as a lawyer and with her fiance. Eevn, worse, it is hard to imagine how the two little kids we came to love from their pictures from the 2004 campaign can cope with the number of bombs that hit what had looked like an idyllic family life - even to those like me, who wished Kerry had picked someone with a more solid list of accomplishments who was more trustworthy.

[TBF]

7. It's sad all the way around -

but I've got to say I'm not surprised. He was leading double lives in other ways as well. Most noticeably pointing out the poor in America from his enormous mansion. I really don't care what happens to him, but I do feel for his children and even the youngest (Rielle's child). Can you imagine if that were your father?

[karynnj]

11. Yes - and I regret not adding her - I should have

It was just the image of the other three is still sharp in memory. In Quinn's case, she has her mother, who is the person who she has been brought up by. I don't think there is anything that she can be charged with. I think whether JRE goes to jail or not, this child will have to live with reading of how her dad denied his paternity for nearly 2 years. I can't imagine what the ongoing relationship could be between them - especially if JRE blames Rielle rather than himself.

As to the possible crimes, what is really sick is that these costs likely occurred after Rielle was pregnant, which was after Elizabeth first knew of the affair. In retrospect, he could have used his money telling Elizabeth that she was blackmailing him - he then could have used his own money. This lie is far less bad than all the others and would have avoided legal jeopardy. (Obviously, even better would have been not to have the affair - or at least to have ended it when he told EE in Dec 2006 or at least when EE got the awful diagnosis.)

[Snotcicles]

10. I'll say this for John Edwards, He sure had the Chamber shitting their pants in 08.nt