Trial of Edwards begins

WASHINGTON - The political corruption trial of former US Presidential hopeful John Edwards began on Monday in a federal court in Greensboro, North Carolina, according to local reports.

The trial began with prosecutors asserting that Edwards knew that nearly 1 million dollars from two wealthy donors were illegal campaign contributions and not aid from friends trying to help him hide an affair from his wife, the late Elizabeth Edwards.

Edwards was indicted last year on six federal counts of campaign finance law violations, and the former senator from North Carolina, 58, faces up to 30 years in prison and 1.5 million dollars in fines, if convicted on all six counts.

The defense argued that the payment was largely a scam by campaign aide Andrew Young, to siphon money from the banking heiress Rachel Mellon. Other payments went to cover the medical expenses of Edwards' mistress, Rielle Hunter, and to keep the affair secret. Edwards went along with this plan to avoid humiliation for himself and his wife.

The prosecution charged Edwards with one count of conspiracy for violating federal campaign finance laws and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), four counts of accepting and receiving illegal campaign contributions from two donors in 2007 and 2008, and one count of concealing those illegal donations from the FEC, according to the Justice Department.

The charges arise from hundreds of thousands of dollars two prominent campaign donors gave to videographer Rielle Hunter, who had an affair and a child with Edwards.

According to the indictment, during the 2008 presidential race, Edwards accepted campaign contributions in excess of lawful limits to protect and advance his candidacy from disclosure of an ongoing extramarital affair with Hunter and her resulting pregnancy.