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Edwards defense team to go after prosecution's star witness

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    Wife of Edwards' former aide faces tough questions

  • Duration 4:48
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High emotions in the courtroom the federal corruption trial against John Edwards the former senator and presidential candidate now under way.

Cheri young the wife of his former aide is facing more tough questions.

About her alleged role in covering up the affair Edwards had with campaign filmmaker real -- -- Least -- was a Fox News legal analyst Doug burns is a former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney -- I wanna start with you first.

Because from the beginning I have wondered about her testimony this is a woman who had to watch her husband.

Claimed credit for fathering a child out of wedlock.

When apparently all of them knew that the child really belong to John Edwards -- this poor woman.

Asked to watch her husband take the blame on a credit however you want to put it.

Right it was all fabrication according to -- Look at W when you look at witnesses report you gotta look at their testimony does -- ring true and -- -- -- testimony rings so true.

That Reuben sandwich all the things she's been talking -- -- new details of how the money had been transferred from one place to the other.

You can't just roll over one day and figure -- how to make that up as a -- and it's held up over and over and again I think it really resonates with the jury.

Well it and she apparently Doug was responsible she was asked to she says.

Endorsed some of these checks using her maiden name some of these checks that came from the wealthy donors endorse them using her maiden name deposit them in an account so that they could then be swept.

Into the campaign -- -- to real -- well look John there's no question.

That you know all kinds of steps were taken to hide this the only legal questions going to be as I've said earlier.

Is was -- where these campaign contributions or -- are Fred baron and Bonnie Mellon providing you know private.

Gifts.

You know to cover up -- -- these nefarious you know the affair and the child and not wreck his campaign.

I think it's a very close case but I want to make one other point which is that.

When Andrew young's wife testified she also said that John Edwards has said that he checked with campaign lawyers I don't know whether that's true or not.

But it does raise a question as to whether may be at least advice of counsel theoretically.

But she also she also said that they believe John Edwards because John Edwards is a wire.

Okay we're neither of them are lawyers they believed him he set as a lawyer I'm telling you this is an illegal.

Well but least he said that he checked with other lawyers and I think that's a huge distinction in other words and if the defendant says and I agree with you a 100%.

You know he's bad he's covering things up but he said he checked that campaign -- I doubt by the way my own view that that's Europe.

But he also said that it was his opinion as a I -- John Edward -- lawyer current parents about -- so it has been said.

That it's been difficult to tell in the courtroom who's on trial here is -- John Edwards.

Or is it -- young's husband Andrew the guy who tried to cover up for forward Edwards and then eventually.

Wrote a tell all book about the whole experience shocking now as we did a very well that what -- criminal you don't consult with choir boys you could win and I know very well what -- -- -- I thought I got like thank you -- about criminals.

So that could -- odds are good when your grip on what he did not consult with choir boys could start with other criminals so that he had a fight someone who's -- do his -- It's time you made a very good subliminal point which is that they gave him immunity.

And I think the jury might be saying wait a minute he's right in the epicenter of everything why are they giving him immunity to real and the big big fish.

What what about her though I mean this is this an admission that she signed these checks and so forth because she was told to -- is there any possible legal trouble for.

Are coming out of all the possibly I mean the thing as a she's gonna rely on the fact that John Edwards told -- that was legal he's a lawyer and all of that.

I don't think that's really what the governments looking out I mean.

That's right this is that this is a tough case for the prosecution to prove but I think they're really getting there and in young both young -- are coming into this picture is showing exactly what happened.

And then apparently -- at some point you know her husband tells her look.

John Edwards got this one pregnant and they want me to take the fall for it.

She says she felt like the entire campaign.

Rested on her shoulders that she had to go along with this thing right this crazy scenes.

There's no John is no question.

That she's -- sympathetic figure attempts ever testimony it's like wait a minute.

You know this has to do with the Edwards campaign and all of a sudden I think these were her exact words you dumping everything in my lap.

Yes our -- I don't see her you know as being anything but essentially sympathetic and well if it was it was it.

When it was thought to be sort of a touch and go case for the prosecutors in the beginning but it sounds like you to think they might have something I had to pay as close case all right but I just got -- -- -- And -- thank you -- I'll get better writing please and please we'll Doug burns thank you both.

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