Testifying at Edwards' campaign
corruption trial, Cheri Young said she had doubts about taking the
money and depositing it into an account controlled by her and her
husband, Andrew Young, but she did it anyway to help out the campaign.
She said she insisted on speaking to Edwards about the money.
"I heard Mr. John Edwards tell
me on the phone that he checked with the campaign lawyers and that this
was legal," said Cheri Young, who was on the witness stand for a second
day of questioning by prosecutors.
Edwards is accused of
deliberately using the money to hide his pregnant mistress as he sought
the White House in 2008. Edwards denies the charges, and his attorneys
have said the Youngs spent the money on their dream house.
Cheri Young said she took the
money despite her reservations because if the public found out about
Edwards' affair with Reille Hunter, the campaign and her husband's job
were in danger.
"I cannot tell you how disgusted I was. Why me? This was my husband's fight. ... Now I had to fix it," she said.
The payments came from a wealthy
Texas lawyer, Fred Baron, who served as Edwards' campaign finance
chairman and an elderly heiress, Rachel "Bunny" Mellon. Andrew Young,
who testified last week under an immunity agreement, has acknowledged
that he used for himself about $1 million of $1.2 million in payments
from the two donors.
Edwards, a one-term U.S. senator
from North Carolina, has pleaded not guilty to six counts related to
campaign finance violations. He faces up to 30 years in prison and $1.5
million in fines if convicted on all counts.
No comments:
Post a Comment
www.worldinfocsl.blogspot.com