John Edwards Trial: Hiding Mistress Was ‘Most Important Job Of Campaign,’ Claims Ex-Aide
April 25 2012, Published 10:00 a.m. ET
By Debbie Emery - Breaking Celebrity News Reporter
John Edwards’ former aide, right-hand man and secret-keeper spilled more damning allegations during his testimony Wednesday at the former Presidential candidate's campaign finance violation trial.
Andrew Young told the Greensboro, North Carolina courtroom how even after the shamed senator lost his presidential campaign, hiding his mistress was still "the most important job on the campaign," because Edwards had political aspirations, reported ABCNews.com.
As Breaking Celebrity News previously reported, the 58-year-old is accused of illegally channeling almost $1 million in campaign contributions to cover up his affair, and subsequent love child, with his campaign videographer Rielle Hunter. Edwards has pleaded not guilty to the six counts he's accused of: four counts of illegal campaign contributions, one count of conspiracy and one count of false statements.
Given the responsibility of making sure Hunter’s pregnancy never came to light, Young and his wife, Cheri, lived with her, and Young even publicly claimed he was the father of her baby, which was so unpleasant that he almost came to blows with Edwards over the matter on one occasion.
Young testified that during a meeting in Texas with Fred Baron, Edwards' national campaign finance chairman, in the spring of 2008, they discussed the Youngs' long-term plans because the couple no longer wanted to live with Hunter.
"He told me I needed to stay focused on the job at hand," the former aide told the jury during his third and final day on the witness stand. "He told me to take a deep breath. Do the best I can. ... Mr. Baron wanted us to try and hold on until the Democratic National Convention."
The situation allegedly got even more dire for the Young family when in December 2007 – after running up more than $200,000 of expen