In the trial of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, jury selection will begin on Thursday in a federal courtroom in Greensboro, North Carolina. Edwards has been charged with six felony and misdemeanor counts related to the money dealings of his failed 2008 presidential campaign. He is accused of conspiracy, issuing false statements, and violating campaign contribution laws. If Edwards is convicted on all counts, he could face 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1.5 million.
Rielle Hunter, who gave birth to Edwards’ daughter after having an affair with him, is expected to testify at the trial. A major issue in the upcoming trial is whether the money given to support Hunter, by the former candidate’s benefactors, should have been considered donations toward his presidential campaign. Edwards claimed the money was a gift and denies any wrongdoing. Edwards’s wife, Elizabeth, died of cancer in December 2010, which is also the year they separated, shortly after he admitted that he fathered a child with another woman.
