The judge residing in John Edwards’ trial, Catherine Eagles, rejected the bid by the former North Carolina senator’s previous mistress to restrict what the court and public could hear about the sex tape the two made together, ABC News is reporting. While the judge ruled earlier that the video itself was inadmissible in court, and will not be introduced during the trial, testimony about it can be made.
Edwards’ former mistress, Rielle Hunter, who was a videographer on his failed bid for the presidency in 2007, is expected to testify in the trial. The video was first introduced when Edwards’ lawyer, Abbe Lowell, was questioning key prosecution witness Andrew Young about the final conversation he had with the former senator in 2008.
During the conversation, Young told Edwards that he had saved voicemails, text messages, emails and photographs. During the conversation, Young was also was scared for his life, and thought there might be a gunman who was going to shoot him.
Edwards is on trial for allegedly using more than $900,000 illegally from his campaign donations to hide Hunter and her pregnancy with their child. His defense is saying the money was used to hide the affair from his late wife, Elizabeth, and wasn’t related to his presidential campaign.
The ruling over the tape comes after Young testified that hiding Hunter was the most important part of the campaign, even after Edwards dropped out of the presidential race. He hoped to become vice president or attorney general.
Written by: Karen Benardello