Senator (John Edwards) contracts to buy $3.8 million mansion

Durham Herald-Sun (Durham, NC) ^ | September 27, 2002 | The Associated Press

[Constitution Day]

Senator contracts to buy $3.8 million mansion

By The Associated Press
September 27, 2002   1:47 am

The self-described "people's senator" from North Carolina is trading in his Washington mansion for an even bigger one in a better neighborhood.

Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., and his wife have signed a contract on a $3.8 million home in Georgetown, Washington's historic neighborhood, according to The Charlotte Observer.

Elizabeth Edwards said they decided to move because their old house had no yard where their two young children could play freely. They also have a contract to sell their present home near Embassy Row. It was listed at $3.9 million, which would earn them a more than 75 percent profit for the less than two years they owned the home.

Their new neighborhood features tree-lined streets of elegant mansions and homes dating to the 1700s. The 8-bedroom, 6,672-square-foot home the Edwardses are buying has a storied past itself.

The previous owners of the 1820 mansion were Clayton and Polly Fritchey. He was an influential newspaper columnist and adviser to President Truman. She was a socialite and promoter of the arts in Washington, particularly the Kennedy Center and Folger Shakespeare Theatre.

Proud of his humble beginnings as the son of a Baltimore & Ohio Railroad engineer, Clayton Fritchey used his columns to fight for the little guy. Liberal for his times, he wrote about the tyranny of the powerful and corrupt over those who played by the rules.

Sound familiar?

Edwards is proud of his roots in Carolinas mill towns, often talks of how he fought for "the little guy" as a personal injury lawyer and has made little secret of his ambitions for the White House, though not as an adviser.

"The history of the house is pretty engaging," said Elizabeth Edwards.

One of her favorite features is the backyard garden of boxwoods. It was designed by Perry Wheeler, who drew the plans for the White House Rose Garden for Jackie Kennedy.

URL for this article: http://www.heraldsun.com/state/6-271174.html
© Copyright 2002. All rights reserved. All material on heraldsun.com is copyrighted by The Durham Herald Company and may not be reproduced or redistributed in any medium except as provided in the site's Terms of Use.

[Constitution Day]

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[Howlin]

Smooth move, man of the people. Especially sending the little woman out to do the talking on this one.

He's in South Carolina today; I heard my mother grumbling out on the deck; something about "why does he even have an office in NC." :-)

[Tai_Chung]

It was listed at $3.9 million, which would earn them a more than 75 percent profit for the less than two years they owned the home.

Who is purchasing this house? Seems like a slick way to have a payoff.

[callisto]

Howlin, your mother is a smart observant lady!

[Constitution Day]

Ping

[Howlin]

I'm printing the one about the house out to take downstairs to her; it ought to put her right over the edge. She keeps a count of the number of times the N&O has articles about him!

[Constitution Day]

Who is purchasing this house? Seems like a slick way to have a payoff.

Excellent question. How would we find out?

[callisto]

I think I love your mother and I don't even know her.

[Constitution Day]

He's in South Carolina today; I heard my mother grumbling out on the deck; something about "why does he even have an office in NC." :-)

ROFL! Good for her.
The clymer wasn't even BORN in NC, anyway.

[mykdsmom]

This just infuriates me.....Edwards always saying he's for the "little guy" "regular people". He's SO far out of touch with real people it's shameful. The worst thing is I think he actually believes he can "feel our pain".

Looks like John Boy is planning on staying in Washington awhile. Doesn't he only have 2 more years left on his Senate seat? He's history after that. No Presidential bid, no more Senate.......NADA!

Here's hoping he gets stuck with his new 3.8 million dollar mansion and can't unload it in 2 years, let alone make 75% profit again, when he gets kicked out of DC.

MKM

[goosie]

From your lips.....

[doglot]

He'll be looked after. They all are.

[mykdsmom]

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for a massive scandal to show up in Edwards closet.

I know he has to have something to hide, he is a RAT after all.

MKM

[Mo1]

BTT

[deport]

Sounds like he's getting set up for his lobbyist or legal firm employment in D.C. when his term expires in Jan. 05

[dighton]

Betcha didn't expect to see this again.

"Little guy" bump.

[Mo1]

I found this from an article in the The American Prospect

"In his first weeks in office, he became one of six senators to interview witnesses in the impeachment trial of then-President Bill Clinton."

That's a pretty important job for someone who was JUST elected to the Senate .. and who at that time was basically a nobody

And then a few years later a man who has basically no experience in political office is running for president?

I can't point my finger on it .. but something smells here

[Unicorn]

BTTT

[prairiebreeze]

An article I read recently observed that Edwards has been being groomed for YEARS to be President. I too, would love to know just who all's been funding that...

Prairie

[Mo1]

An article I read recently observed that Edwards has been being groomed for YEARS to be President. I too, would love to know just who all's been funding that...

I would like to know that also .. considering he has only been in an elected office for 5 years

The more I think about this .. the more it smells

[deport]

Funding....... Most likely a large portion from trial/plaintiff lawyers........ Kondracke wrote an article about their money and political influence during the 2000 race......

[hershey]

I bet he thinks he'll be the vp.

[Mo1]

Yea but he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar with his lawyer buddies .. plus these campaigns aren't cheap and there are still a number states to still campaign in

So it still comes back to .. where is he getting all the funds? and what or who is really behind Edwards run for President?

[kcvl]

State of North Carolina
$47,208

??????



JOHN EDWARDS (D)
Top Contributors

Cycle: 2004 All Cycles*

Baron & Budd
$77,250

Goldman Sachs
$76,000

Girardi & Keese
$63,475

Beasley, Allen et al
$62,850

Simmons Firm
$49,000

Robinson & Cole
$47,200

Weitz & Luxenberg
$46,250

Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson
$38,250

Morris, Haynes & Hornsby
$38,000

Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder
$37,500

Wilkes & McHugh
$36,000

Fieger, Fieger et al
$34,500

Morgan Stanley
$32,650

Watts Law Firm
$32,000

Cotchett, Pitre et al
$32,000

Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer
$30,500

Paul, William & Beltz
$30,250

Lopez, Hodes et al
$30,000

Baker, Keener & Nahra
$30,000

Lieff, Cabraser et al
$29,350



JOHN EDWARDS (D)
Top Contributors

Cycle: 2004 All Cycles*

Girardi & Keese
$155,475

Goldman Sachs
$121,000

Beasley, Allen et al
$109,650

Baron & Budd
$108,250

Kramer, Dillof et al
$51,018

Weitz & Luxenberg
$50,250

Morris, Haynes & Hornsby
$50,000

Simmons Firm
$50,000

Robinson & Cole
$49,200

State of North Carolina
$47,208

Kline & Specter
$42,000

Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder
$41,500

Morgan Stanley
$40,650

Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson
$38,250

Hare, Wynn et al
$37,750

Lopez, Hodes et al
$36,000

Wilkes & McHugh
$36,000

Fieger, Fieger et al
$34,500

Corboy & Demetrio
$33,550

Lieff, Cabraser et al
$32,350


JOHN EDWARDS (D)
Top Industries
Cycle: 2004 All Cycles*

1
Lawyers/Law Firms
$9,782,015

2
Retired
$669,265

3
Securities & Investment
$432,600

4
Health Professionals
$317,505

5
Real Estate
$312,075

6
Business Services
$286,650

7
Misc Business
$254,655

8
Education
$243,194

9
TV/Movies/Music
$207,147

10
Civil Servants/Public Officials
$176,493

11
Misc Finance
$163,950

12
Commercial Banks
$107,950

13
Retail Sales
$99,340

14
General Contractors
$84,830

15
Insurance
$77,700

16
Printing & Publishing
$75,700

17
Computers/Internet
$69,650

18
Misc Manufacturing & Distributing
$60,750

19
Misc Services
$59,300

20
Accountants
$56,750


JOHN EDWARDS (D)
Top Industries
Cycle: 2004 All Cycles*

1
Lawyers/Law Firms
$7,429,290

2
Retired
$438,715

3
Securities & Investment
$324,350

4
Misc Business
$241,155

5
Business Services
$231,500

6
Health Professionals
$224,900

7
Real Estate
$214,125

8
Education
$174,324

9
TV/Movies/Music
$166,875

10
Misc Finance
$136,550

11
Civil Servants/Public Officials
$123,985

12
Retail Sales
$70,040

13
General Contractors
$67,580

14
Printing & Publishing
$60,200

15
Computers/Internet
$55,950

16
Commercial Banks
$54,900

17
Insurance
$51,200

18
Misc Services
$47,800

19
Accountants
$45,000

20
Construction Services
$42,500

[HitmanLV]

He is leaving the Senate in 2004, why is he settling in DC? A future in lobbying?

[Mo1]

Goldman Sachs sure did give him a lot Thanks for the list Kcvl ..

And what was that BS Edwards keeps yapping about getting rid of special interests??

[kingu]

Deeds are public records; someone just needs to go down and look once the sale is completed and the deed is recorded.

[Constitution Day]

No, I sure didn't!

To be honest, I had counted him out until the Iowa caucus.
"Little guy"?
Yeah, he's a real "regular guy", too.

[nutmeg]

Blast from the past ping! (9-27-02)

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.

[nutmeg]

Blast from the past ping! (9-27-02)

[nutmeg]

Blast from the past ping! (9-27-02)

[bmwcyle]

Junk Science pays.

[montag813]

Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., and his wife have signed a contract on a $3.8 million home in Georgetown, Washington's historic neighborhood, according to The Charlotte Observer.

Pretty cocky move, considering he is NOT running for re-election. What will he do if he is neither Senator or VP in 2005? Be a LOBBYIST? LOL

[StarFan]

Glad you pointed out the date of the article. I thought he recently purchased the home which translated into being offered a VP slot. Whew!

[StarFan]

Look at the date of the article before showing mom.

[Howlin]

LOL....she warned me! Anyway, I can't even get my mother to LOOK at the paper anymore. She's thoroughly disgusted with all the Edwards coverage!

[firebrand]

Elizabeth Edwards said they decided to move because their old house had no yard where their two young children could play freely.

Darn it. I never thought of buying a $3.8 million house when my kid was young so she could play freely in a back yard. These senators are so smart they think of everything.

By the way, the self-made multimillionaire now wants to eliminate the Bush tax cut for everyone making over $240,000 a year.

[Rebelbase]

Can you post the beach house photo?

Here is the public record from the New Hanover County Tax card on John and Elizabeth Edwards Figure Eight Island Beach house.

2778 Square Feet, 4 Beds, 4 1/2 baths.

Tax value from 1999 at over $1 million.

http://www.nhcgov.com/Oasinq/Oasdata.jsp?sel=R05207-002-009-000 (takes a minute to load)

Just a regular guy.

[Howlin]

[Howlin]

Mo has the pictures of this house in D.C.

[Howlin]

And here is the Raleigh house:

http://aws1.co.wake.nc.us/realestate/Account.asp?id=0024814&stype=owner&owner=Edwards%2C+John&spg=1

[StarFan]

Darn it. I never thought of buying a $3.8 million house when my kid was young so she could play freely in a back yard.

LOL, guess it's all in the priorities one sets. Kids take a back burner to a well equipped kitchen before I consider coughing up $3.8 million.

[StarFan]

What I find terribly upsetting is believing some of the posts from Carolinians saying the guy doesn't stand a chance in the South, yet his poll numbers tell us otherwise. What gives and does this 'man of the poor' stand a chance?

[Taxman]

Thanks for the ping.

The more of Edward's life we can expose, the more harm we can do him in his quest for the Presidency.

While we are at it, let us trash all the DemoncRATS! Maybe someone would be interested in starting a "Trash Your Favorite Democrat Today" thread?

[TaxRelief]

Y'all continue to underestimate the guy. He leaves me shaking in my boots.
There's more to the house story.

FoxNews, 10/31/2003

John Edwards Tried to Sell Home to Saudi Agent while on Intell Committee

WASHINGTON - While a member of Congress' investigation into U.S. and Saudi intelligence failures, presidential hopeful John Edwards agreed to sell his home for $3.52 million to the public relations expert hired by Saudi Arabia to counter charges it was soft on terrorism.

Edwards, a Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee (search ), said Friday he learned sometime during the course of the 2002 transaction -- months after the initial offer was signed but before the deal fell apart -- that Michael Petruzzello (search) worked for Saudi Arabia.

Though the sale broke off nearly a year ago, Edwards hasn't returned or publicly disclosed Petruzzello's $100,000 deposit, which remains in a real estate escrow account as the senator decides what to do with it. Edwards recently sold the house to another buyer for a half-million dollars less than Petruzzello's offer.

"If I took control of the $100,000, I would disclose it because that would be an asset of mine and it would be necessary that it should be disclosed. And that disclosure would include making sure that it was appropriate because of the legal issues associated it with it," Edwards told The Associated Press.

The Senate ethics manual says lawmakers are obligated to avoid financial transactions that create even the "possibility or appearance" of a conflict of interest or if "they have personal financial stakes in the outcome of their official duties." Discretion is left to the senator.

Edwards said he handled the transaction through real estate agents and doesn't believe he had any obligation to try to learn about Petruzzello's clients. He said he never had any suspicions, even after learning of the Saudi connection while he and other Intelligence Committee members were still investigating Saudi Arabia's possible complicity in the Sept. 11 attacks.

more...

[TaxRelief]

Can you find the info on his yacht? I wonder if he is paying his personal property taxes. Yachts have tax bills annually in NC.

[Rebelbase]

Thanks for posting that. The "75% increase" in value from when Edwards bought the house 2 years ago makes sense now.