RALEIGH, North Carolina: Fallen Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards denied Friday he had broken the law after being indicted on charges of using illegal campaign funds to cover-up an affair. “I did not break the law and I never ever thought that I was breaking the law,” Edwards said after making his first court appearance on the charges. “There's no question that I've done wrong and I take full responsibility for having done wrong and I will regret for the rest of my life the pain and the harm that I have caused to others,” he said before asserting his innocence. The two-time Democratic presidential hopeful was charged Friday with using $925,000 in campaign funds to cover up an affair with a film producer with whom he had a baby girl. Edwards, 57, faces a six-count indictment “for allegedly participating in a scheme to violate federal campaign finance laws,” the Justice Department said. If convicted, Edwards faces up to five years prison and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge; up to five years prison and a $250,000 fine on each count of accepting and receiving illegal campaign contributions; and a maximum of five years prison and a $250,000 fine on the charge of hiding the alleged illegal donations. The charges, prepared after two years of investigations, concern hundreds of thousands of dollars provided by two wealthy donors that Edwards allegedly used to shelter his mistress, Rielle Hunter, with whom he fathered a child. A youthful, silver-tongued trial lawyer elected senator from North Carolina, Edwards sought the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008. In 2004, he became Democrat John Kerry's running mate, but the two were defeated by George W. Bush, who was running for re-election. Edwards was wealthy, had a model family after marrying his college sweetheart and fathering four children, one of whom died in a car accident as a teen, and had seemed destined to be a leading voice in the Democratic party. His hugely popular wife, Elizabeth, an attorney and campaigner, died from cancer in December.
