Democrats Won't Disavow Edwards Mailing

August 15, 2008— -- Two weeks before he admitted to ABC News that he repeatedly lied during his Presidential campaign about an extramarital affair, a Democratic campaign group mailed a fundraising appeal letter from former Senator John Edwards asking donors to "help America meet the great challenges left to us by eight years of gross incompetence and dishonesty."

In the pitch, mailed July 21 by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Edwards urges Democratic donors to give "$150, $200 or even $250" to help elect Democrats to the Senate.

"I intend to do everything I can to help Senator Obama become president," writes Edwards in the mailing. "But if we don't give him a 60-seat majority in the Senate, we will miss this once-in-lifetime moment."

On Aug. 8, ABC News reported Edwards admitted lying about his affair with 42-year-old Rielle Hunter, but denied her new baby daughter was his.

Matt Miller, a spokesman for the DSCC, would not comment on how many people received the letter or how much money it had raised, but defended it saying it was sent out before Edward's publicly admitted that he had extra-marital affair with a filmmaker working for his campaign. 

Asked whether the Democratic committee would continue to rely on Edwards to raise money, Miller said that the committee "had no current plans."

Questions continue to swirl about the affair. On Monday, ABC News reported a one-time close friend of Hunter says Edwards may not have told the complete truth during his ABC News interview about the duration of his affair with his ex-mistress.

Click here to view the letter.

Click Here for the Investigative Homepage.