John Edwards: Denied Affair, Told Advisor to ‘f–k’ Himself When Confronted, and Fired Worker Who Warned About It
Recounting for the courtroom on Friday, Peter Scher, who had been hired to politically advise former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, said the politician denied having a sexual relationship with Rielle Hunter when asked in September 2006. Recounting for the courtroom on Friday, Peter Scher, who had been hired to politically advise former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, said the politician denied having a sexual relationship with Rielle Hunter when asked in September 2006. However, when Scher asked again before the 2008 presidential campaign, Edwards had a less nuanced reply.
The first warning from Scher advised candidate Edwards to at least prohibit Hunter from travelling with him, reports ABC News. Yet the ban on Hunter lasted only several weeks before she returned to campaigning with the candidate. In fact, Edwards even fired the campaign worker, Josh Brumberger, who reported the affair to Scher.
After Scher heard that Hunter was still traveling with the former North Carolina senator, despite staff concerns, he advised Edwards not to run for president in 2008, according to Reuters. Edwards replied he didn’t need a babysitter. “He told me to go f–k myself,” Scher testified.
Scher stopped serving as an outside adviser to Edwards after that. He said in court he thought if the affair was true, eventually it would come out and destroy Edwards’ political career.
The 101-year-old heiress, “Bunny” Mellon, whose money apparently helped hide John Edwards’ pregnant mistress, was described as ‘apoplectic’ by Bryan Huffman when Edwards asked for a $50 million donation for a poverty foundation, according to the Daily Mail. Mellon thought he should be using his own money since it was his girlfriend and his affair.
The wealthy donor’s money seems to be a significant element of the government’s case against Edwards, as prosecutors are alleging that John Edwards, in his quest to become president and unwilling to stop his affair, devised the scheme to use $1 million from Mellon and a second wealthy supporter to hide the pregnant mistress.
