Justice Department moving toward charges in Edwards case
By: CNN Senior Producer Kevin Bohn
Washington (CNN) - The Justice Department has authorized prosecutors to bring criminal charges against former presidential candidate and Senator John Edwards, sources with knowledge of the investigation confirm to CNN.
An indictment could be averted if prosecutors and lawyers for Edwards reach a plea deal.
Edwards is aware the government is preparing to bring an indictment and is now considering his options, one source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN.
The government wants Edwards to plead guilty to a felony, but he doesn't want to do that because he would lose his law license, a source close to the Edwards family told CNN. Edwards has talked to friends and associates about wanting to start a public interest law firm, and "doesn't want to lose his license, not to mention he is terrified of going to jail," the source added.
Since 2009, a federal grand jury in North Carolina has been investigating payments made to Rielle Hunter, Edwards' mistress, who worked as a videographer for his campaign. Edwards fathered an out of wedlock baby with Hunter while he was married. The grand jury has been investigating whether the payments should be considered un-reported campaign donations. Lawyers for Edwards have argued they should not be.
Whatever the outcome, a resolution to the two year investigation by the government is expected "soon," the source with knowledge of the investigation said Wednesday.
Both sources refused to speak on the record because of the sensitivity of the matter.
The source close to the family describes Edwards' legal team as "solid people" who are trying to convince him to take a plea and get a better offer by suggesting the government's case isn't as strong as the federal prosecution team might think. The source said Edwards' defense lawyers hope to still sway the government to offer Edwards a better deal.
The Edwards legal team had hoped that the Justice Department would end up not pursuing charges.
Much of the government's case appears centered on a former aide. In his tell-all book "The Politician," former Edwards staffer Andrew Young wrote that heiress Rachel "Bunny" Mellon gave Edwards a gift of $700,000 that was used to cover-up the affair with Hunter, a video producer for the campaign who was pregnant with the former senator's child. Mellon's attorneys have previously said she thought she was just helping a friend, didn't know what the money was meant for and that she did nothing wrong.
Edwards declined to comment Tuesday to CNN affiliate WRAL-TV of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Young told WRAL in 2010 that Mellon did not know how her money was used, but said the money went toward flights and to pay rent for Hunter's California home while Young pretended to be the father of Hunter's child.
Edwards later admitted he fathered the child.
Edwards told ABC's Nightline in 2008 he never paid a dime to any of the people involved in the scandal and never asked any money to be paid to the those involved.
Spokesmen for the U.S. Attorney's Office and Edwards' legal team declined comment on the case.
CNN