FOXNews.com: Witness in John Edwards' trial set for more grilling

FOXNews.com FOX News Channel - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Witness in John Edwards' trial set for more grilling Apr 27th 2012, 12:48 GREENSBORO, N.C. –  Defense lawyers are attacking the credibility of the prosecution's key witness in the federal criminal trial of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards. Former campaign staffer Andrew Young faces a third day of cross-examination Friday. Edwards is accused of using nearly $1 million in campaign funds from two wealthy donors to hide an extramarital affair during his 2008 run for the White House. But under questioning by the defense, Young acknowledged much of the money in question went toward construction of his upscale house in Chapel Hill, N.C. Lead defense attorney Abbe Lowell grilled Young over reimbursements he procured from heiress Rachel "Bunny" Mellon and Texas lawyer Fred Baron to cover travel and lodging expenses for Edwards' mistress, Rielle Hunter. Young admitted he had not informed Baron about funds he had already received from Mellon. "Any juror will be able to understand you cannot submit reimbursement for expenses that you never paid," said Kieran Shanahan, a former federal prosecutor who has been observing the trial. Shanahan also said the defense team further damaged Young's credibility by pointing out inconsistencies in his recollection of the dates and order of key events, such as when he first learned Hunter was pregnant. "His biggest liability is that he talked too much," Shanahan said. "Andrew Young obviously wrote a book. He appeared on multiple national TV shows. He gave multiple interviews to the agents and to the government. And the stories just don't add up." On Thursday, the court released more trial exhibits to the general public, including checks that Mellon funneled to Young and his wife Cheri, using her interior decorator, Bryan Huffman, as an intermediary. The checks often came with encouraging notes. In one note Huffman writes, "Andrew, as Bunny says, 'For the rescue of America!' " Prosecutors are trying to show the intent behind the contributions was not just friendship, but political influence -- therefore violating the $2,300 individual donor cap under federal campaign finance laws. If convicted, Edwards could face up to 30 years in prison. Edwards denies he knew about the money. His lawyers argue the donations were "private gifts" from friends to prevent Edwards' wife from finding out about his pregnant mistress. And just how much of those funds even went to that end is in question as the cross-examination of Young continues.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions