Timeline: Scandal According to Andrew Young

Jan. 29, 2010— -- Andrew Young, a former longtime aide and trusted friend of Sen. John Edwards, sat down for an exclusive interview with ABC News' Bob Woodruff regarding his upcoming memoir, "The Politician, An Insider Account of Edwards' Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal that Brought Him Down."

Young chronicles his time with Edwards, including his efforts to hide the secret that would eventually shock the American public.

Below is a timeline of events in the scandal according to Andrew and Cheri Young:

Nov. 3, 1998: Edwards elected to the U.S. Senate. Soon after, Young starts working as his "body man."

Sept. 15, 2003: Edwards officially announces he is running for President on "The Daily Show with John Stewart."

July 6, 2004: John Kerry picks Edwards as his Vice Presidential candidate.

Nov. 3, 2004: Kerry-Edwards lose 2004 campaign and Edwards learns his wife Elizabeth has breast cancer.

February 2005: Edwards founds and directs the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at University of North Carolina (UNC) law school. Young claims to have raised $3 million to endow the center.

February 2006: During a tour of several cities in support of unionized hotel workers, Edwards arrives in New York City and stays at the Regency Hotel. Edwards meets Rielle Hunter in the lobby of the Regency Hotel. Young claims Hunter told him that she spent the night there with Edwards.

Spring/early Summer 2006: Young meets Hunter for the first time at Dulles International Airport as he was picking up Edwards to take him to meet Bunny Mellon, a wealthy benefactress who unwittingly would play a critical role in the cover up of Edwards' affair. Edwards introduces Hunter to Young as a filmmaker who was going to make brief documentaries, called "webisodes." Hunter's videos would document the real John Edwards and give his voters a backstage pass to his life on the campaign trail.

June 2006: Hunter and partner Mimi Hockman incorporate Midline Groove productions and sign a contract with Edwards' political action committee. Hunter begins traveling with Edwards shooting "webisodes." According to Young, Edwards begins to insist that staff stay on separate floors of hotels.

Summer 2006: Young becomes aware of the affair between Edwards and Hunter.

June 2006: Young gets tickets for Hunter to see the Dave Matthews Band in N.Y. Hunter. According to Young's book, Hunter embarrasses herself and the band by throwing herself at violinist Boyd Tinsley and Matthews.

Summer 2006: The Edwards family moves into their new Chapel Hill mansion. The Youngs begin construction of a new home in Chapel Hill, not far from Edwards's mansion. They hire the same architect and builder.

September 2006: Elizabeth Edwards' book, "Saving Graces," is released. Andrew and Cheri Young are among those Elizabeth thanks in the book.

Sept. 28 - Oct. 5, 2006: Hunter travels to Uganda with Edwards on a trip sponsored by the International Rescue Committee. Young claims Hunter tells him they spent every night together and Edwards told Hunter he loved her. Upon returning home, Edwards's "secret" cell phone, which Young and Edwards called "the bat phone," rings and Elizabeth answers and hears a woman talking amorously to her husband, but does not know who it is. The Edwards, according to Young, fight and Elizabeth insists that her husband call the woman back and end the affair. Elizabeth does not know who was on the phone because for several months after that, Rielle's name is on the daily schedule traveling with the senator, according to Young.

Late 2006: Hunter, who was still the official videographer for Edwards, accompanies him to his Center on Poverty at UNC and then to his home, since Elizabeth was away. Hunter meets Edwards' parents and children and interviews them on camera for a "webisode." At an intimate dinner, Hunter and Edwards, according to Young, "kept on talking about once Elizabeth was gone, this is the way it should be, this is the way it is. This is after several hours of wine -- cuddling together -- just me and the two of them."

Young says Rielle talked about plans for a rooftop wedding in New York. "Their favorite song was called 'Steady as We Go,' by Dave Matthews Band, and that was their song. And according to Edwards, he was gonna get them to come and play at his wedding, after he was President," said Young. Hunter later tells the Youngs that they "they made love in John and Elizabeth's bed."

Dec. 28, 2006: Edwards officially announces his 2008 presidential run New Orleans. Elizabeth does not accompany her husband, but Hunter does and spends the night with him at the Loews Hotel. Hunter tells Young that she felt like Edwards' "First Lady" that night. Hunter also accompanies Edwards on his multi-state announcement tour that culminates in a rally at Southern Village (Chapel Hill) in front of Edwards' Headquarters.

Dec. 30, 2006: Elizabeth comes face to face with Hunter at the rally at Southern Village. Hunter is fired within a day or two of that encounter. Edwards tells Young Elizabeth kept him up all night fighting about Hunter. Young later finds out that Edwards told his wife he had a one night affair with Hunter, who then started to have an affair with Young. "Elizabeth felt my affairs had cost them the election and their reputation," says Young. "She completely forced me out of their lives," he adds.