A North Carolina grand jury has indicted former Senator John Edwards, who ran twice for the presidency, on campaign finance violations. Prosecutors say that money Edwards allegedly took from contributors, including the late Fred Baron from Dallas, was used to pay off his mistress, Rielle Hunter. And they claim that money should be considered campaign contributions because its purpose was to further Edwards’ political career.
It just so happens that we have an interview with Baron’s widow, Lisa Blue Baron, in our June issue. She spoke about her and her husband’s relationship with Edwards:
“The John Edwards controversy is a blessing in disguise. My husband was all about one word: loyalty. Fred taught me that the definition of a friend is when everyone else walks out and that one person walks in. Fred was the most loyal friend anyone could have. I always tell the story of how I keep the bill for the valet parking at Fred’s funeral close to me. It was very expensive. That’s because of all the lives Fred touched. I hope I double that valet bill when I die. Fred’s greatest attribute was that whenever there was a tragedy or crisis, he could always find something positive to come out of it. So the positive that came out of the Edwards situation for me was just how loyal Fred was, and that’s what people remember about him.”
She said she’s disappointed, but not angry, with Edwards. She sees no point in piling on his misery:
“I think he suffered the consequences, and it’s a great life lesson about how high you can be, where you have 100,000 people cheering you because they think you’re great, to the other extreme, where you’re possibly facing criminal charges.”
There’s more in the whole article.
