John Edwards

Dec. 14, 2009 — -- After initially dropping out of the public spotlight, former North Carolina Senator and 2008 Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards was back making headlines this year.

His former mistress Rielle Hunter testified at a court hearing examining his corporate finances, and his wife Elizabeth appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show talking about her husband's infidelity.

Also this year, Edwards' former aide Andrew Young, who once claimed to be the father of a baby born to Rielle Hunter in February 2008, said Edwards is the real father of the child. In a book proposal, Young said that he and Edwards' campaign finance chairman hid the secret relationship and that Edwards told Hunter they would marry after Elizabeth, terminally ill with cancer, died. Young's book, to be titled "The Politician," will be published in February.

After repeatedly denying an affair with Hunter, who was paid over $100,000 by Edwards' political action campaign for unused video production work, Edwards admitted to ABC News in August 2008 that he lied repeatedly about having an affair with Hunter.

He has acknowledged that federal investigators are examining the use of his campaign funds.

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