“Mr. Edwards is alleged to have accepted more than $900,000 in an effort to conceal from the public facts that he believed would harm his candidacy,” Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer said in a press statement. “As this indictment shows, we will not permit candidates for high office to abuse their special ability to access the coffers of their political supporters to circumvent our election laws.”

Edwards repeatedly denied accusations he was sleeping with Hunter and later also denied he was the father of her child, even after photos of him visiting them in a hotel surfaced in the National Enquirer. In January of last year, Edwards finally admitted to everything and claimed fatherhood of Hunter’s daughter Quinn.

After his admission of the affair and his paternity of Hunter’s child, Edwards separated from his wife, Elizabeth Edwards. She subsequently died of breast cancer in December.

John Edwards has been the target of a federal investigation since 2009. Investigators have reportedly focused on whether John Edwards used illegal campaign funds to pay Rielle Hunter and former aide Andrew Young to keep them quiet about the affair. Andrew Young was initially put forward as the father of Hunter’s baby instead of Edwards. The case rests on an investigation of two of Edwards’ supporters who allegedly give him money to cover up the affair and baby  to keep his political ambitions alive.

If convicted on the conspiracy charge against him, John Edwards could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also could receive five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of accepting and receiving illegal campaign contributions.

Rielle Hunter on 'Extra' (Warner Bros)

On The View Monday, Barbara Walters said Rielle Hunter called her “in tears” over the photos of her published in GQ magazine. According to Walters, Hunter “screamed for two hours” after seeing the GQ photos. “She said she found the photographs repulsive,” Walters said.

So why the hell did Rielle Hunter pose for the icky, half-clothed photos of her sprawled out on a bed covered in her daughter’s toys? According to Walters, Hunter said “she trusted Mark Seliger, whom she said is a brilliant photographer and quote, ‘I went with the flow.’”

Hunter reportedly “thought having one of those photos was okay and would be sexy and that there were others that were just beautiful headshots, but that GQ picked photos to hit one note.”

Yeah, blame it all on GQ for making you look like a ho. Please, you can’t tell us that you go and pose for photos like that and expect the magazine to NOT use them when you’re the key player in a massive political scandal and sexual affair with a former presidential candidate. Especially when you just have to dish about how John Edwards was a “relentless lover” who slept with you the first night you met him in the very same magazine.

>> John Edwards Mistress Rielle Hunter Says She’s No Gold Digger

Rielle Hunter interview in 'GQ' (GQ.com screenshot)

“I’m not a predator, I’m not a gold digger, I’m not the stalker,” John Edwards’ mistress Rielle Hunter says in an interview with GQ. Hunter also claims it is not her fault John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth Edwards ended up with their marriage on the rocks. “Infidelity doesn’t happen in healthy marriages… So the home was wrecked already. I was not the Home Wrecker.”

Hunter told GQ that she first met and slept with John Edwards in February 2006. According to her, the connection between them was instant and electric. “I had never experienced anything like what was flowing between us… It terrified me.”

In the GQ interview, which is accompanied by several sensual photos of Rielle Hunter, the former Edwards staffer says rumors the two are planning to wed have no validity. As for whether or not wedding bells might be in the future someday, well, you never know.

“I do know that I love him and that love is till death do us part, and probably beyond.” Hunter said. “The love doesn’t go away. It’s unconditional.”

We have two things to say about Rielle Hunter’s GQ interview. First, it really doesn’t help your claims you aren’t a gold digger, predator or stalker when you go blabbing your mouth about your affair to the public at large. Keeping your damn mouth shut would have gone a lot further in making you not look so much like a fame-whore.

Secondly, it is more than cheap and downright nasty to have a photo of you posing with your kid in your magazine right next to photos of you looking like a second-rate porn star. That’s just wrong and disturbing and tells us a lot more about your psyche than anything that comes out of your mouth.

>> Previously:  John Edwards Sex Tape Spurs Mistress Rielle Hunter Court Battle

John Edwards (Photo: United States Congress )

Rielle Hunter has reportedly obtained a court order demanding former John Edwards aide Andrew Young turn over alleged racy photos and videotapes she says belong to her. The order, according to CBS News, “speaks to video recordings and photographs that depict matters of a private and personal nature.”

Andrew Young talks about the video tapes and photographs in his new book, The Politician. Young says he found a sex tape made by Hunter and Edwards shortly before the January 2008 presidential campaign kicked into full swing.

Andrew Young claims the tape clearly shows John Edwards having a sexual encounter with a woman who is “visibly pregnant” and wearing a ring similar to one Rielle Hunter has been seen wearing.

Young has so far refused to turn over the alleged sex tape and photographs, but is reportedly communicating with police at the Orange County, N.C. Sheriff’s Office regarding the battle with Rielle Hunter over possession of the materials.

Personally, we hope if there is a John Edwards sex tape, it gets burned in a fire before it gets leaked somewhere. Hasn’t Elizabeth Edwards suffered enough? The poor lady really doesn’t need her husband’s naked cheating ass splashed all over the Internet to deal with too. At least she finally officially announced her seperation from the sleazebag. We hope those divorce papers are in the works…

>> Previously:  John Edwards Admits Paternity of Rielle Hunter Baby at Last

John Edwards (Photo: Joey Gannon, Pittsburgh, PA)

“It’s been two and a half years [since the affair started],” former John Edwards staffer Andrew Young told ABC News.” For it to come out a week before my book is coming out… I’ve expected it a long time. I expected they were going to do a public relations campaign to promote him, which I’m very skeptical of.” Young says he doesn’t really buy the whole ‘loving and supportive’ father part of Edwards’ public admission of paternity. “All of a sudden he’s a doting, loving father of Quinn. I’m skeptical of it.”

Young said Edwards had no choice but to finally admit he was the father of Frances Quinn Hunter because of information included in his new book, The Politician.  ”He is doing this a week before my book comes out where there is going to be stuff that he cannot, you know, there are voicemails. In his voice. And voicemails in Elizabeth’s voice that absolutely contradict almost everything that he has said,” Young said. “I think that he is trying, that he is going to do everything he can to deflect that.”

One of things the former presidential candidate is probably not going to enjoy is Young’s claim John Edwards did everything he could to cover up the affair and his fathering of the baby – including asking to have a paternity test faked and persuading Andrew Young to claim he was actually the father of Hunter’s child.

The Politician is due out on Feb. 2. Andrew Young will appear on 20/20 and Nightline on Jan. 29 to discuss his book and the John Edwards affair.

>> Previously:  John Edwards Admits Paternity of Rielle Hunter Baby at Last

John Edwards (Photo: United States Congress )

John Edwards confirmed his paternity of Rielle Hunter’s almost 2-year-old toddler in a press statement on Thursday. “I am Quinn’s father. I will do everything in my power to provide her with the love and support she deserves. It was wrong for me ever to deny she was my daughter, and hopefully one day, when she understands, she will forgive me,” Edwards said. “To all those I have disappointed and hurt, these words will never be enough, but I am truly sorry.”

Yeah, we’re sure your cancer-stricken wife, Elizabeth Edwards, and your three children with her – Cate, Emma and Jack – are really feeling your apologies about now. As for the child you denied fathering for two years, we can only shudder at what kind of messed up head that poor girl is going to have from all this.

National Enquirer Cover

John Edwards should have just given it up when the National Enquirer first plastered his affair with Rielle Hunter all over their front page. Being caught with your pants down is one thing – even presidents have survived that. Lying about it to the entire world over and over again – that’s the part that really makes you look like a douche bag. Edwards once called the National Enquirer stories about his affair “tabloid trash that’s full of lies.” We’re thinking that label actually applies pretty well to Edwards himself right about now.

Even worse, Edwards is still under investigation for possibly using money raised for his presidential campaign to try to cover up the affair with Hunter.

Can you imagine if we’d elected this guy president? He’d deny for years he accidently launched a nuclear strike on Iran, blame it on one of his staffers and then only admit he did it and was “truly sorry” about it years later. We’re thinking the country dodged a bullet on that one.

>> Previously:   John Edwards Will Admit to Fathering Rielle Hunter’s Baby

“The National Enquirer’s coverage of a vicious war within Sarah Palin’s extended family includes several newsworthy revelations, including the resulting incredible charge of an affair plus details of family strife when the Governor’s daughter revealed her pregnancy. Following our John Edwards’ exclusives, our political reporting has obviously proven to be more detail-oriented than the McCain campaign’s vetting process. Despite the McCain camp’s attempts to control press coverage they find unfavorable, The Enquirer will continue to pursue news on both sides of the political spectrum.”

The tabloid seems to be going full force into political expose, after being emboldened by the final fall of John Edwards. McCain is livid, and after four other magazines hit the stands today with Palin on the cover, he’s had enough. McCain has now threatened to sue the National Enquirer.
The campaign had this to say:

“The smearing of the Palin family must end. The allegations contained on the cover of the National Enquirer insinuating that Gov. Palin had an extramarital affair are categorically false. It is a vicious lie,” said McCain senior adviser Steve Schmidt. “The efforts of the media and tabloids to destroy this fine and accomplished public servant are a disgrace. The American people will reject it.”

The whole thing is a freakin’ feeding frenzy, and unless the Enquirer has some ironclad evidence, they’re gonna burn through any credibility they earned by outing John Edwards in his extramarital affair. The Palin family has been through a trial by fire this week, and Snarkista thinks that Ms. Tougher In Alaska is NOT gonna forget who was throwing chum at the sharks. Maybe give it a rest for a few days? Before some fool prints that Palin’s a guy? Geez.

Since VP nominee Sarah Palin’s future son-in-law Levi Johnston has now been thrust into the limelight, AND since his Myspace has been scrubbed squeaky clean (except for the “I don’t want kids”, pronouncement and the stupid profile pic), Snarkista wanted to point out that Levi is pretty damn hot. So hot some are calling him “sex on skates”! Levi’s on his way to the Republican National Convention right now…and it will be all the papz can DO to restrain themselves once he gets there. Meaning they probably won’t.

He’s a bit of a hellraiser, a hockey stud, a self-described redneck, and has a criminal record from poaching salmon. Beats a DUI! Oh, and “dont f*** ” with him. No effin’ here, Levi! You’re the best looking scandal-maker around, and you beat the HELL out of John Edwards and Rielle Hunter. Happy shotgun!

Pictures of Levi at the RNC for Sarah Palin’s Speech:

While we wait for someone to grow some, here is one of Snarkista’s favorite Switchfootsongs called, of course, Politicians. Hint: It ain’t a love song.
This is a crazy video version of the song… blame Padme? Star Wars definitely has it’s share of politicians. Do check out Switchfoot Dan’s version too. It’s pretty fab. And to all of you Politicians: stop playing shifty with us. And don’t fiddle around while Russia cranks the Cold War right back up. Y’all keep an eye on Poland too, ‘cuz it’s about to get REAL chilly. Fire it up, boys.

John made a semi-confession to Nightline after The Enquirer splashed his infidelity all over the front page AGAIN, and the mainstream media FINALLY picked up the story. Since then, Edwards has been front-page gold for the mag, and this week’s print edition is no different. John told Nightline that he confessed his affair to his cancer-fighting wife Elizabeth in 2006. Reportedly, John neglected to mention that ELIZABETH was the one who brought it up, after a tip from a campaign staffer! The staffer walked in on John and Rielle and caught them in an “intimate moment”. Elizabeth, understandably, was FURIOUS.

While the Enquirer was dogging him, they discovered Edwards’ elaborate moves to cover up the affair, and, they say, the baby. Tons of money was involved, including a $50,000 private plane flight to get Rielle and the babe out of California when the shizz hit the fan. Bob McGovern, friend to both, arranged all of the meetings at the Beverly Hilton. (You’d think Edwards would be smart enough to at least mix up the meeting places…especially since the Enquirer was hot on his tail. Just another example of his incredible narcissism run wild.)

In the newest edition of The Enquirer, reporters tracked Rielle to St. Croix where they discovered Rielle and the baby staying in a luxurious oceanfront home owned by controversial trial lawyer Lee Rohn, ANOTHER close friend of Edwards. When confronted by an Enquirer reporter on August 15, Rohn snapped a terse “No comment!” when questioned about Hunter. Former Virgin Island Senator Anne Golden confirmed to the mag that “within 24 hours of their arrival that they were here and staying with Lee Rohn.” Guess she’s NOT on the Edwards payroll!

After the Enquirer found Rielle hiding out with Rohn, she was reportedly moved to a motel on the island before returning to Santa Barbara on August 17. A reporter for the mag saw Rielle back in her California home, which is being paid for by Edwards’ former finance chairman Fred Baron. She has an off-duty police officer guarding her house.

Quoth the Enquirer:

None of this is paid for by Rielle. The money continues to come from Edwards’s network of loyal supporters, with no explanation from Edwards why he is having his friends continue to support Rielle now that the affair has been made public. Edwards is not only aware of the hush money payoffs but orchestrated it with his team of former campaign advisors and now The ENQUIRER has discovered that a team of six more lawyers have been involved in the coverup and are funneling payments to Hunter, who has no money and no means of support.

The ENQUIRER has also learned that Hunter’s own lawyer advised her to allow Edwards to take a paternity test but she refused out of misguided belief that Edwards will marry her after the death of his cancer-stricken wife Elizabeth.

Experts are now calling for audits of Edwards’ campaign finances, as well as possible gift-tax violations by Fred Baron and other individuals who funneled money to Rielle. Snarkista’s said before…follow the money. The National Enquirer is doing just that. John’s troubles aren’t CLOSE to being over, and he’s still looking for a bigger shovel.