No Quick Verdict in John Edwards Trial
By Jonathan Serrie
Jurors are beginning their third day of deliberations in the trial of John Edwards.
Late yesterday, they requested additional evidence from the prosecution, including correspondence among employees or associates of Rachel "Bunny" Mellon. Mellon is one of two wealthy donors who provided the money allegedly used to keep Edwards' pregnant mistress in hiding during his 2008 bid for the White House.
The checks Mellon funneled through her interior decorator friend Bryan Huffman to Edwards' campaign aide Andrew Young often came with notes of encouragement. In one, Huffman writes to Young, "As Bunny says, 'For the rescue of America!'"
The jury's request for such evidence suggests the panel may be trying to determine the intent behind the money. Was it simply the desire to help a friend with a personal problem? Or was it to benefit a political campaign?
