A timeline of the John Edwards-Rielle Hunter affair, lies

Nine years before John Edwards found himself at the center of his own sex scandal with Rielle Hunter, he spoke out about Bill Clinton's infidelities at the impeachment trial of the then-president:

“I think this President has shown a remarkable disrespect for his office, for the moral dimensions of leadership, for his friends, for his wife, for his precious daughter. It is breathtaking to me the level to which that disrespect has risen.”

Edwards, apparently, didn't learn much from the Clinton debacle. And he ignored one of the biggest lessons from that mess: If you're a politician who gets caught having an affair, don't lie about it.

Edwards did lie about his involvement with Hunter. Several times. Here's a handy timeline charting his denials, as well as other highlights of the scandal:

• 2006: Edwards meets filmmaker Rielle Hunter in New York. His “One America Committee” pays her more than $100,000 to produce four videos about Edwards.
• Dec. 28, 2006: Edwards announces his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.
• Oct. 10, 2007: The National Enquirer reports that Edwards had an affair with Hunter. Edwards responds: “The story is false. It’s completely untrue, ridiculous.” Hunter also denies the allegations.
• Dec. 19, 2007: The National Enquirer reports that Hunter is pregnant and Edwards is the father of the child. An ex-Edwards aide, Andrew Young, 41, claims he is the father of Hunter’s child.
• Jan. 30, 2008: Edwards ends his campaign for the Democratic nomination.
• Feb. 27, 2008: Hunter gives birth to a daughter, Frances Quinn Hunter. No father’s name is given on the birth certificate, filed in California.
• July 22, 2008: The National Enquirer reports that it caught Edwards visiting Hunter and her daughter at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
• July 23, 2008: At a press conference in Houston, Edwards says “the tabloid trash is full of lies.”
• Aug. 6, 2008: National Enquirer publishes photos that it says are of Edwards with Rielle Hunter and with her baby.
• Aug. 8, 2008: Edwards admits to having an affair with Hunter. He denies fathering her daughter or making any financial payments.

-- Kate Linthicum

Photo credit: Extra via Associated Press

Comments

[arnon]

Why is this news? Why does anyone care about what politicians do with their genitalia? How juvenile can we get?

[Shana McCarthy]

Don't trust a man who gets a $400 haircut. I learned that long ago working for a California co. where the wheels got their flashy company autos detailed for $$$$$$. John not only cheated on his wife while she really needed his support, but he acted like an ass with his haircuts and lies. What we need in this country is a woman president, one who does not think with two heads. Hillry was such a person and the Democrats really screwed up. Here is one Republican who voted for Hillary in the primary and would have voted for her in November. Women are much more honest than men, are more trustworthy, loyal and don't lie nearly as much as men do. We need to start getting women in more political offices. Have you heard of many women cheating on their spouse, talking taxpayers money and from lobbists?

[Beltway Greg]

On the 11:00 o'clock news here in DC, WJLA 7, this evening the story about the military conflict between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Georgia appeared at 11:15. The Edwards affair was the lead story. And then, another treat, Nightline, once a bastion of journalistic excellence, devoted the entire show to this charade. Who gives a damn and is this newsworthy? Well, in America the answer to this is a resounding yes. We're spending $9 billion dollars a month in Iraq and we have a banking system that is on the verge of collapse and people that are losing their homes and live without health care and we care about who John Edwards screws? Here we go again. Instead of having a presidential race decided on the merits of the candidates and serious issues we're going to find out who stole the cookie from the cookie jar. Graham was correct we're whiners but we whine about the wrong things. People won't protest the war or engage in any constructive dialogue about it but let their local Starbucks close and there will be hell to pay. Once again we'll have less than 50% turnout and America, not because of the person that is elected, but because her citizens fail to save and invest wisely and will find themselves edging ever nearer to some type of totalitarian hybrid of a sham state controlled democracy where the government makes economic decisions because the typical citizen couldn't control himself. But at least we've solved the mystery of John Edwards. Suckers. The media elite? Elite has nothing to do with it my friends.

Beltway Greg

[John Kreuzer]

Couldn't have picked a worse time for this to come out for the Democrats!

[fledermaus]

It sure is lucky for John Edwards that hypocrisy only is a problem for repubs. It is hard to imagine how loud the msm crowd would be crowing about hypocrisy if this had been Mitt Romney. dems don't have to worry about that stuff. Apparently they are not regarded as being moral, or concerned with all that old hat american value stuff, so the idea of hypocrisy just never enters into the situation.

There was a dem guy on cnn this evening who said this should not hurt Edwards...after all he was the only person out there talking about poverty, his voice is too important to be shut down for something personal. See? For the libs what a person does doesn't matter, what's important is the intention.

This is John Edwards' response to Katie Couric's question about whether voters should care if a presidential candidate is faithful to his spouse:

"Of course. I mean, for a lot of Americans -- including the family that I grew up with, I mean, it's fundamental to how you judge people and human character -- whether you keep your word, whether you keep what is your ultimate word, which is that you love your spouse, and you'll stay with them. ... I think the most important qualities in a president in today's world are trustworthiness -- sincerity, honesty, strength of leadership. And -- and certainly that goes to a part of that."

[Robert Lewis]

Andrew Young of the John Edwards story: The arrests for worthless checks, DWI, burglary, criminal mischief, the federal tax lien

webofdeception.com

[Alessandro Machi]

As time goes on, I'll always vote for the smart guy who cheats, then everyone else that judges the cheater while cheating themselves.

See, the smart guy got things done and actually put in an honest day's work day after day, the rest are wannabe posers not good enough or smart enough.

Edwards helpe derail Hillary Clinton's campaign in the caucus contests, when he magically quit just days before all the february caucuses that went by ridiculous margins to Barack Obama. Even Edwards Rurual advisor, Dave Mudcat Saunders vowed that Edwards would never endorse Hillary Clinton if he had anything to do with it.

I have never seen a year in which so many bought off democrats combined forces to try and topple Hillary Clinton.

Edwards, Kerry, Richardson, and Dean, ALL being paid off by George Soros, the sociopathic billionaire, should all be put on trial for fraud.

http://www.HILLARY-WINS.com
http://www.CAUCUSCHEATING.com
http://www.FAIR-REFLECTION.com
http://www.PROTEST-POSTCARDS.com

[frenchtulip]

John Edwards made a gigantic mistake. Hopefully, the family can heal. One wonders if Rielle Hunter understands or cares about the pain she caused the Edwards family.

[fatigued]

Tonight I watched the Olympic opening ceremonies, an event in which most of the world's countries gather to celebrate the universal concept of sport. When one watches the opening ceremony, one is exposed to all of the different cultures, ideals and viewpoints that make up the people of this planet. On one side of the political spectrum represented at tonight's ceremony sat French president Nicolas Sarkozy, a man who, this past year alone, has divorced his SECOND wife and been remarried to a pop star. On the other end sat several teams from the Middle East that were not allowing women to compete (including, if memory serves, Iran's team). Am I to believe that the standards for excellency in this country are closer to that of Iran's, not that of the French? Oh man, we kid ourselves when we say that America is progressive.

[Sonja Foxe]

it's the crappy lies & hypocrisy and the underlying bad sense of priorities ... the thing that got me was his speach shot by Hunter on Moral Values ...

apparently he didn't lie to Elizabeth who was reportedly furious however

would YOU buy a used car from that man?

[Alessandro Machi]

What about buying a used car from Robert Wexler, the florida representative who no doubt was bought off by Barack Obama to railroad the division of delegates in Florida, and former used card salesman and soon to be an
"author", at his best, ridiculing the concept of "FAIR REFLECTION.

http://fair-reflection.blogspot.com/2008/06/harold-ickes-fair-reflection-comment.html

Lets not forget Chris Kofinis, the Edwards sock puppet who lied on edwards behalf for over a year, and also socked it to Hillary Clinton this past campaign season on
MSNBC, surprise surprise.

http://www.HILLARY-WINS.com

[Gypsy Man]

Time to add one more thing--even in admitting his affair, Edwards couldn't help but lie when he said he did not father the child. I suspect the Times will soon have to updated the timeline to show that Edwards is the father. If he said it wasn't so, it must be TRUE!

Not WRIGHT for America calls it "lying about lying", appropriate! www.notwrightforamerica.com

[Charles Clemens]

One item missing from the time line:

What day did the Los Angeles Times attempt to silence there bloggers in an effort to hush up the scandal?