Sources: Edwards plea deal fell apart right before indictment

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards nearly accepted a plea deal, but negotiations fell apart in the hours before he was indicted in a two-year-long investigation into whether he used campaign contributions to cover up an extramarital affair, WRAL News learned Sunday.

Edwards, 58, pleaded not guilty Friday to four counts of illegal campaign contributions and charges of conspiracy and false statements.

Federal prosecutors say he used more than $900,000 from his presidential campaign to cover up his affair with staffer Rielle Hunter and the birth of their daughter, Quinn. Edwards' lawyers say the money from his former campaign finance chairman Fred Baron and Rachel "Bunny" Mellon, a 100-year-old heiress to pharmaceutical and banking fortunes, were personal gifts.


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