US presidential hopeful John Edwards has gone on trial on Monday, in a federal court in Greensboro, North Carolina, over political corruption charges including six counts of violating campaign finance laws, Press TV reports.

Charges include conspiracy for violating federal campaign finance laws and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), four counts of accepting and receiving illegal campaign contributions from two donors, and concealing those illegal donations from the FEC.

Prosecutors accuse Edwards of illegally funneling money from his campaign -- nearly a million dollars - to cover up an affair with his videographer, Rielle Hunter, during his failed presidential campaign in 2008.

Edwards has pleaded not guilty to the six criminal counts, arguing that the payment was largely a scam by campaign aide Andrew Young, to siphon money from donors.

“There's no question that I've done wrong," says Edwards, adding that "I take full responsibility for having done wrong. I will regret for the rest of my life the pain and the harm that I've caused to others. But I did not break the law. And I never, ever thought that I was breaking the law."

The former North Carolina Senator faces up to 30 years in prison and USD 1.5 million in fines if convicted on all six counts.