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Edwards ex-mistress rules out paternity test
By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The ex-mistress of former presidential candidate John Edwards said Saturday she will not participate in DNA testing to establish the paternity of her daughter.
Rielle Hunter's lawyer, Robert Gordon, says his client is a private individual who is not running for public office and that she wishes to maintain the privacy of her and her daughter.
"Rielle is therefore making no statement now or in the future," Gordon said in a statement. "Furthermore, Rielle will not participate in DNA testing or any other invasion of her or her daughter's privacy now or in the future."
On Friday, Edwards admitted to having an extramarital affair with Hunter in 2006 but denied that he was the father of Hunter's 5-month-old daughter. Edwards offered to take a paternity test to prove he is not the father.
Hunter's decision means that the issue of who the father is remains an open question.
Hunter's daughter, Frances Quinn Hunter, was born on Feb. 27 this year, and no father's name is given on the birth certificate filed in California.
A former Edwards campaign staff member professes to be the father.
Edwards, a former North Carolina senator who was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2004, confessed to ABC News that he had lied repeatedly about the affair with Hunter, then 42, who produced videos for Edwards as he prepared to launch his presidential campaign.
In an interview which aired on ABC's "Nightline" on Friday night, Edwards said he would be willing to take a paternity test to put the issue to rest but wasn't sure whether Hunter would be willing to.
"I am and have been willing to take any test necessary to establish the fact that I am not the father of any baby, and I am truly hopeful that a test will be done so this fact can be definitively established," Edwards said.
The National Enquirer first reported on the affair in October 2007, in the run-up to the Democratic primaries, and Edwards denied it.
Last month, the Enquirer carried another story -- the blaring headline referred to an Edwards "love child" -- stating that its reporters had accosted Edwards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles where he had met with Hunter after her child's birth. Edwards called it "tabloid trash."
In her statement Friday, Elizabeth Edwards said it wasn't easy to find out about the extramarital affair in 2006 but indicated she did not believe that her husband was the father of Hunter's daughter.
"This was our private matter, and I frankly wanted it to be private because as painful as it was I did not want to have to play it out on a public stage as well," she said. "Because of a recent string of hurtful and absurd lies in a tabloid publication, because of a picture falsely suggesting that John was spending time with a child it wrongly alleged he had fathered outside our marriage, our private matter could no longer be wholly private."
Edwards declared his presidential candidacy in December 2006. His wife campaigned enthusiastically with him and by herself in the months that followed. She announced in March 2007 that her cancer, formerly in remission, had returned and there apparently was no cure.
Edwards dropped out midway through this year's primaries. He recently endorsed Barack Obama and had been mentioned as a possible running mate. But as rumors spread of Edwards' possible affair it became clear that he would not likely speak at the Democratic National Convention later this month in Denver.
Rielle Hunter's lawyer, Robert Gordon, says his client is a private individual who is not running for public office and that she wishes to maintain the privacy of her and her daughter.
"Rielle is therefore making no statement now or in the future," Gordon said in a statement. "Furthermore, Rielle will not participate in DNA testing or any other invasion of her or her daughter's privacy now or in the future."
On Friday, Edwards admitted to having an extramarital affair with Hunter in 2006 but denied that he was the father of Hunter's 5-month-old daughter. Edwards offered to take a paternity test to prove he is not the father.
Hunter's decision means that the issue of who the father is remains an open question.
Hunter's daughter, Frances Quinn Hunter, was born on Feb. 27 this year, and no father's name is given on the birth certificate filed in California.
A former Edwards campaign staff member professes to be the father.
Edwards, a former North Carolina senator who was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2004, confessed to ABC News that he had lied repeatedly about the affair with Hunter, then 42, who produced videos for Edwards as he prepared to launch his presidential campaign.
In an interview which aired on ABC's "Nightline" on Friday night, Edwards said he would be willing to take a paternity test to put the issue to rest but wasn't sure whether Hunter would be willing to.
"I am and have been willing to take any test necessary to establish the fact that I am not the father of any baby, and I am truly hopeful that a test will be done so this fact can be definitively established," Edwards said.
The National Enquirer first reported on the affair in October 2007, in the run-up to the Democratic primaries, and Edwards denied it.
Last month, the Enquirer carried another story -- the blaring headline referred to an Edwards "love child" -- stating that its reporters had accosted Edwards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles where he had met with Hunter after her child's birth. Edwards called it "tabloid trash."
In her statement Friday, Elizabeth Edwards said it wasn't easy to find out about the extramarital affair in 2006 but indicated she did not believe that her husband was the father of Hunter's daughter.
"This was our private matter, and I frankly wanted it to be private because as painful as it was I did not want to have to play it out on a public stage as well," she said. "Because of a recent string of hurtful and absurd lies in a tabloid publication, because of a picture falsely suggesting that John was spending time with a child it wrongly alleged he had fathered outside our marriage, our private matter could no longer be wholly private."
Edwards declared his presidential candidacy in December 2006. His wife campaigned enthusiastically with him and by herself in the months that followed. She announced in March 2007 that her cancer, formerly in remission, had returned and there apparently was no cure.
Edwards dropped out midway through this year's primaries. He recently endorsed Barack Obama and had been mentioned as a possible running mate. But as rumors spread of Edwards' possible affair it became clear that he would not likely speak at the Democratic National Convention later this month in Denver.
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jb wrote on Aug 9, 2008 11:11 PM:
" How convenient. Anyone with half a brain knew this was coming; obviously Edwards and Hunter had this planned in advance. Edwards agrees to a test while denying he's the father; Hunter refuses to take the test but continues to receive $15k a month from Edwards, um, I mean Edwards's friends. What a shock.
What a liar. "
What a liar. "
cire wrote on Aug 10, 2008 1:54 PM:
" jb hit the nail on the head..
what a ridiculous series of circumstances...does anyone have any values anymore? "
what a ridiculous series of circumstances...does anyone have any values anymore? "
chester11 wrote on Aug 10, 2008 3:49 PM:
" Good call, jb.
It's a good bet that's exactly what happened. "
It's a good bet that's exactly what happened. "
Oboy wrote on Aug 10, 2008 8:10 PM:
" jb, where did you find the 15k a month figure? Sounds like great article to read. "
harleyboy1961 wrote on Aug 10, 2008 9:51 PM:
" I don't think a man can get much lower than having an affair with another woman while his wife is at home and fighting for her life with cancer. And how does he look himself in the mirror every morning and wake up in the morning saying "good morning" to his wife and children?
Where can I meet a woman who lets her husband have an affair and don't kick his cheating butt out the door? "
Where can I meet a woman who lets her husband have an affair and don't kick his cheating butt out the door? "
barbie wrote on Aug 10, 2008 11:14 PM:
" He's good looking, famous and has a dying wife-did anyone NOT see this coming?? It's bad enough that he had the affair and lied about it, but if there's a child involved, that's unforgivable. I feel bad for his family, but not bad for him or the woman involved. You play, you pay.... "
Whyonearth wrote on Aug 10, 2008 11:32 PM:
" I find the timing of the release of this "revelation" suspect at best and downright deceitful at its worst. To bury the release late on a Friday afternoon when the olympic opening ceremonies would dominate the airwaves in a few short hours is political posturing. John "the con" Edwards knew this information was about to be exposedm and did everything in his power to pre-emtively spin this in his favor. His mea culpa rang very hollow and did not seem sincere. As many politicians in the past on both sides of the aisle (Clinton, Kennedy, Hart, Foley, Craig, et al) have done, they claim to be sorry for the transgression, but in fact are sorry they got, literally, with their pants down. "
fatman2 wrote on Aug 15, 2008 11:47 PM:
" Edwards bought his mistress a million dollar home in N.C. and just paid $150,000 to move her in the middle of the night, trying to avoid the press. One of his PAC's has been paying her a monthy income. That's pretty generous of old John, considering he's "not the father". More of this is coming out in the next coupleof weeks. Watch, he'll eventually admit paternity. What a scumbag. "
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unionlabel wrote on Aug 9, 2008 9:36 PM:
Obama-Kilpatrick '08 The Dream Team "