Trump hush money parallels to John Edwards pave ‘difficult’ road to felony conviction

The story of how former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards beat federal campaign finance charges over hush money payments has become Trump’s defense strategy. Legal and campaign finance experts have speculated that if Trump were to be indicted, a case surrounding Edwards might offer some insight into his legal strategy, particularly in relation to the alleged preelection hush payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Prosecutors had alleged that Edwards, in 2011, solicited almost $1 million from wealthy donors to hide his affair with a mistress, who was carrying his child, to prevent damage to his reputation during his 2008 presidential bid. Although Edwards admitted to the affair, he was acquitted by a jury in 2012, finding him not guilty of illegal campaign donations but deadlocked on five other charges the Justice Department subsequently dropped.

Stanley Brand, an election law expert, argued that the theory that ‘hush payments’ constitutes a campaign contribution is legally flawed, adding that any attempt to couple a misdemeanor charge with a campaign finance violation, as prosecutor Alvin Bragg is seeking to do to achieve a felony count, would be an uphill battle. A significant difference between the two cases is that Trump is being investigated by New York state prosecutors, while Edwards was charged by federal prosecutors.

Trump denied the alleged affair and wrongdoing and characterized the investigation as a ‘witch hunt’. However, some analysts argue the evidence known to the case could warrant a misdemeanor at best, and it’s uncertain as to the timing of any potential charges against the former president.