Andrew Young, John Edwards’ aide, takes the stand for second day
Andrew Young, former aide to Former US Sen. John Edwards arrives at the Federal courthouse to testify against Edwards’ on the first day of trial on April 23, 2012 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The once Democratic presidential candidate, Edwards plead not guilty to six counts of campaign finance violations.
John Edwards' former aide, Andrew Young, took the stand for the second day of Edwards' trial, according to The New York Times.
Young said that Edwards' first reaction upon learning that his mistress was pregnant was to say there was a 1-in-3 chance that he was the father, calling the woman a "crazy slut," according to the Associated Press.
As the prosecution's star witness, Young, was expected to help the government prove that Edwards knew that contributions from two wealthy donors were in violation of federal campaign finance law, said The Times.
When rumors about Edwards fathering a child started circulating, Young said Edwards asked his aide to falsely claim that the baby was his, reported the AP.
The prosecution alleges that Edwards conspired to use the nearly $1 million in secret contributions to help hide his affair as he ran for president in 2008, according to the AP.
More on GlobalPost: John Edwards trial begins in North Carolina on campaign finance charges
The prosecutor, David Hardbach, argued said, "If the affair went public it would destroy his chance of becoming president, and he knew it. …He made a choice to break the law," according to the AP.
Edwards' defense team aimed to destroy Young's credibility by alleging that most of the money in question was kept by Young and his wife to pay for a $1.5 million house, said the AP.
More on GlobalPost: John Edwards trial: Judge says witness and confidant Andrew Young acted improperly
They also argued that the money Edwards received from Rachel Mellon ($725,000) and Fred Baron ($200,000) was for personal reasons, to protect his wife and family from public humiliation, according to CNN.
Young said that taking the money from Mellon "felt and smelled wrong," according to the AP.
Edwards' defense attorney Allison Van Laningham argued that her client was "a man who has committed many sins but no crimes," according to The Washington Post. She threw doubt on Young's motives, saying, "Since he can no longer make money being for John Edwards, he wants to make money being against him."
A further complication arose on Monday when US District Court Judge Catherine Eagles said Young had established "improper" contact with three other witnesses, but ruled that lawyers could not use the term "witness tampering, according to Fox News.
If found guilty on all six counts of felony and misdemeanor, Edwards could face up to 30 years in prison.
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