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Edwards aide paid paramour to split
Boston Herald ^ | 8/11/08 | staff

Posted on 08/10/2008 10:28:56 PM PDT by pissant

RALEIGH, N.C. - There were few people closer to John Edwards during his presidential campaigns than Fred Baron, a renowned Texas trial lawyer who evolved into one of the Democratic Party’s key fund-raisers.

Baron, who made his fortune as a celebrated litigator on asbestos-injury cases before turning his attention to Democratic presidential tickets, was part of Edwards’ inner circle of advisers.

But when it came to one key financial decision, Baron said he chose to keep the former senator out of the loop.

On Friday, after Edwards confessed to having an affair with Rielle Hunter, a video producer with whom he had been linked romantically for months in tabloids, Baron stepped forward with a disclosure of his own.

Baron, chairman of Edwards’ 2004 and 2008 finance committee, said he, without Edwards’ knowledge, had paid for Hunter to leave Chapel Hill because she was being hounded by tabloids.

Edwards said he knew nothing about the payments nor had he told anybody to make them.

“I made a decision on my own, without talking to Edwards or anybody, to try to help them move to a community or to try to get away from those folks,” Baron told The Dallas Morning News.

Baron insisted he used his own money, not campaign finance funds, without disclosing the sum that he gave Hunter.

“John Edwards is an extraordinary human being who made an egregious error,” Baron told The Dallas Morning News.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption
KEYWORDS: breckgirl; corruptdems; hushmoney; johnedwards; limpwrister; riellehunter; silkypony
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Gee, who would have thunk it?
1 posted on 08/10/2008 10:28:56 PM PDT by pissant
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To: pissant

Why was she in Chapel Hill? It’s pretty close to Edwards for an EX-girlfriend.


2 posted on 08/10/2008 10:33:28 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
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To: pissant
"Baron insisted he used his own money, not campaign finance funds, without disclosing the sum that he gave Hunter."

Gee, how nice. Now just be a nice little lawyer and file the appropriate tax returns with the IRS retroactive to the date you decided to take these actions.

3 posted on 08/10/2008 10:34:00 PM PDT by Enterprise (Let all Democrats have a half vote. They deserve it!)
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To: pissant

So, let’s recap..John Edwards has a PRIVATE affair...his best friend tells everyone he’s the baby daddy and another friend pays off the mistress (with his own money, mind you). Either John Edwards has some pretty incredible friends who love and adore him, or has some pretty incredible friends who will do anything to be next to power...which one do you think it is?


4 posted on 08/10/2008 10:35:46 PM PDT by Hildy (You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.)
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To: Hildy

I don’t think silky has any friends, just paid for acquaintances. One of the reasons he lies with every syllable he speaks.


5 posted on 08/10/2008 10:38:32 PM PDT by pissant (THE Conservative party: www.falconparty.com)
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To: pissant
Baron said he chose to keep the former senator out of the loop.

B.S., this is just a trial lawyer covering up for another.

6 posted on 08/10/2008 10:39:59 PM PDT by rfp1234 (Phodopus campbelli: household ruler since July 2007.)
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To: pissant

Oh, yeah, this is all so believable — one Edwards pal “takes responsibility” as father of the baby, even though he’s married, and another Edwards pal pays some unspecified huge sum of money to get the chick out of NC...... and Edwards knows nothing!!!! Nothing.......

Hey, MSM, if you can swallow this bilgewater you are even more biased and dishonest than I thought.

Let’s see if anyone keeps on the case and demands a real accounting from Edwards and his pals. There are all kinds of questions about sources of funding etc. so it’s much more than merely a sordid tabloid sex scandal. Follow the money!!


7 posted on 08/10/2008 10:45:27 PM PDT by Enchante (If oil was botox then Nancy Pelosi would have us drilling everywhere!!! (hat tip, STARWISE))
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To: pissant
Edwards picked himself out a real winner Mr. Ant.

"The videos, which cost Edwards' One America Committee $114,461, were produced in 2006 by an aspiring actress/producer named Rielle Hunter, who proposed the idea to the senator in a bar in New York City."

He met his lovely lady in an effing BAR! But it gets better.

"Hunter: Oh yeah. Actually the reason it was less druggy was because someone referred me to a healer who did a clearing on my energy field. I was in a state of ecstasy for about a week and realized what I was looking for, in terms of medication, was inside of me; it was a higher bliss. With that clearing, all desire for drugs or alcohol vanished."

Scrubbed: Edwards Filmmaker's Deleted Website Raises Questions

8 posted on 08/10/2008 10:47:56 PM PDT by Enterprise (Let all Democrats have a half vote. They deserve it!)
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To: pissant
She expected more than a one night stand.
9 posted on 08/10/2008 11:16:05 PM PDT by ricks_place
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To: pissant
“I made a decision on my own, without talking to Edwards or anybody, to try to help them move to a community or to try to get away from those folks,” Baron told The Dallas Morning News.

Hey a little help with this, Pissant.

Who are "them?"

10 posted on 08/10/2008 11:25:44 PM PDT by Rudder
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To: Rudder

gosh, i want to move to a million dollar mansion, cause my ex-husband is bothering me, wonder if mr. baron will help me?


11 posted on 08/10/2008 11:46:50 PM PDT by machogirl
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To: machogirl

Only if you’re running for national office in order to make more laws benefiting the trial lawyers.


12 posted on 08/10/2008 11:52:20 PM PDT by dr_who
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To: pissant

Second in line for expressions of gratitude was Fred Baron, chairman of Edwards’ presidential campaign finance committee. “Fred paid Rielle to leave North Carolina out of his own pocket, sheltering her from nosy reporters and giving me ‘plausible deniability’ to charges that I had either an affair or a hand in her departure,” Edwards revealed. “He’s the kind of man who would’ve served a President Edwards well and faithfully. It’s a crying shame that this country won’t have the opportunity to see him in that role.”

read more...

http://www.azconservative.org/Semmens1.htm


13 posted on 08/10/2008 11:53:12 PM PDT by John Semmens
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To: BunnySlippers
Why was she in Chapel Hill? It’s pretty close to Edwards for an EX-girlfriend.

She was moved there in mid-pregnancy from New Jersey, apparently. Maybe someone (the real father??) was trying to make her happy and quiet...

14 posted on 08/10/2008 11:56:01 PM PDT by Yaelle
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To: Hildy

Mr. Edwards has friends who know he can pay them back with incredible interest.


15 posted on 08/11/2008 12:39:57 AM PDT by skr (I serve a risen Savior!)
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To: pissant

I wish he would decide to give me some dough


16 posted on 08/11/2008 12:47:01 AM PDT by woofie
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To: ricks_place

ewww! Appropriate picture to . . . Fatal Attraction—perfect.


17 posted on 08/11/2008 1:03:51 AM PDT by GOP Poet
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To: pissant

To quote his peer “this requires the willing suspension of disbelief”!!!


18 posted on 08/11/2008 1:03:53 AM PDT by Atchafalaya
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To: John Semmens
“He’s the kind of man who would’ve served a President Edwards well and faithfully. It’s a crying shame that this country won’t have the opportunity to see him in that role.” read more...

http://www.azconservative.org/Semmens1.htm

Semi-News -- A Satirical Look at Recent News
That's a cute satire - but I don't consider it kosher to cite a satire as if it proved a point.

19 posted on 08/11/2008 2:20:50 AM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion (The conceit of journalistic objectivity is profoundly subversive of democratic principle.)
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To: BunnySlippers

“Baron, chairman of Edwards’ 2004 and 2008 finance committee, said he, without Edwards’ knowledge, had paid for Hunter to leave Chapel Hill because she was being hounded by tabloids.”

All I can say to that is Bio Solar.


20 posted on 08/11/2008 3:43:55 AM PDT by billhilly (I was republican when republican wasn't cool. (With an apology to Barbara Mandrell.))
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