Posted on 08/12/2008 4:23:09 PM PDT by Libloather
Edwards Scandal Puts Texas Plaintiffs Lawyer on the Defensive
Tuesday August 12, 3:02 am ET
Zach Lowe, The American Lawyer
Dallas-area Democrats defended Fred Baron on Monday, saying his loyalty to his friends and passion for Democratic politics were behind his payments to John Edwards' mistress and the Edwards campaign worker who has identified himself as the father of her child.
Baron, a trial lawyer who became one of the kings of asbestos litigation, has admitted paying Rielle Hunter and former Edwards campaign staffer Andrew Young's relocation expenses when they moved out of North Carolina and into million-dollar homes in California in the last two years.
The payments may amount to as much as $15,000 per month, some news outlets reported.
**SNIP**
Baron and his wife, Lisa Blue, did not return messages from The Am Law Daily on Monday.
**SNIP**
Ewing says she never took any of Baron's money for her county chair campaign, but Baron's political action committee, the Texas Democratic Trust, has spent millions backing Democratic candidates since 2004, when he all but quit his law practice to support Edwards.
"He has no personal interest in Democratic politics, and he could easily sit back and do nothing right now," says Marc Stanley, name partner at Stanley, Mandel & Iola and an active Democrat. "And yet he spends an inordinate amount of time and money on it, because he believes in the cause."
**SNIP**
One, Eric Gambrell, an Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld partner, says he hopes the Edwards scandal does not taint Baron's career. (The firm represented Baron.)
"He's obviously a legal legend, and I've never seen a better strategist," Gambrell says. "Beyond all this [Edwards] stuff, he's a great human being."
(Excerpt) Read more at biz.yahoo.com ...
Since the hush has money stopped, how are the single mother and child being supported now?
I wonder if she paid income tax on the hush money ?
Do these $15,000 per month payments count as campaign contributions?
I hope the FBI investigates this and Edwards just keeps on lying .
Plausible deniability. “Don’t say anything John. I know how to handle this.”
What makes you think it stopped?
IRS needs to investigate also.
How do we know the money has stopped?
I don't! WE don't! But SOMEONE must be supporting the 'love lips' child in some way now - no? Baron may still have some mad money hanging around. I dunno.
All I've got to go on is the word USED -
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.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2059762/posts
Sorry but this doesn't pass the smell test. Since when does a greedy lawyer go behind another greedy lawyers back and contribute benevolent funds to move Silky's mistress to another state. I smell skunk juice all over this Baron slimester!
There is one other guy involved in this.... lives in Waco.
O’Reilly said Monday night he would ask for an IRS investigation.
When he says he will do something I believe him.
Do you live in Waco - and are you the proud father?
Glad to hear this.
Have you looked for the Waco man’s contributions in opensecrets? I know that wouldn’t show hush money, but might help connect some dots.
He’s a big contributor. One of the biggest to the Dems. I’m intentionally not putting his name on here... because I don’t want my id and his to be goggled. Just a little paranoia on my part... but I have family connections to him and I don’t want to burn that bridge.
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