“I’ve never paid a dime of money to any of the people that are involved. I’ve never asked anybody to pay a dime of money, never been told that any money’s been paid.”
This guy is a lawyer and this was practiced. Use your Clintonian decoder ring:
“I’ve never paid a dime...”
No dimes!
And if he means no money, then, still, he wasn’t the one paying.
“I’ve never asked anybody to pay...”
They volunteered! Gee, it would sure help me out and help make you the predidential chief of staff if this little problem went away...
“never been told that any money’s been paid”
Was he told it was going to be paid? Did he know it was paid? Did he know it was going to be paid? He doesn’t answer any of these questions.
That was a classic literal answer designed to get people to report something he didn’t say.
I’m sure these statements by Edwards could be technically true. If he never asked that money be paid, but his bag man made arrangements without telling Edwards, it could be technically true. But I’m sure there were understandings of what was supposed to happen. It could well be that Edwards and his bagman discussed the situation without Edwards specifically giving the orders to pay her off.
And it could well be that Edwards told the money man he didn’t want to know any details of what he did.
I think this is called “plausible deniability”? Edwards possibly can truthfully say that he never asked that money be paid, and it may be truthful that nobody ever told Edwards that the deed was done.
But, somewhere, somehow, a signal was sent that Edwards wanted this done.