The Justice Department announced Wednesday that it will not retry John Edwards. That ends a prosecution that seemed driven more by political than legal considerations. After spending years and millions of dollars, the Public Integrity Section accomplished nothing except to raise questions about its own priorities and function. It is not uncommon for prosecutors to yield to the temptation of bringing charges against high-profile defendants. However, the Justice Department stretched the campaign finance laws to the breaking point on this case. It seems intent on satisfying the public anger toward Edwards for his adultery and betrayal.
The Justice Department filed for an “order for dismissal” on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in North Carolina to dismiss the remaining five counts against Edwards on which the jury had been deadlocked. Edwards was already found not guilty on one other count. Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer insisted that the government decided not to retry Edwards “in the interest of justice.” He added “We knew that this case — like all campaign finance cases — would be challenging . . . I am proud of the skilled and professional way in which our prosecutors … conducted this trial.” I fail to see the interest in justice is pursuing a salacious, media-driven prosecution and then trying the case by introducing every possible prejudicial fact detailing the affair of Edwards and his mistress. It takes a great deal to win a defense case in a criminal trial. The jury starts out with a great presumption against a defendant. In this case, that presumption was magnified by the prejudicial details paraded before the jury by the prosecutors. Yet, the Justice Department still could not land a single count of conviction for good reason. This was a cad not a criminal.
The only truth that came out of the wasteful and unnecessary trial is that Edwards and Rielle Hunter truly deserve each other as two of the most narcissistic and creepy people on Earth. However, the Justice Department comes out of the trial with the most tarnished reputation for yielding to the allure of a high-profile trial at the cost of due process.
Source: Boston
bettykath,
Did you already pay the taxes? If you did, it might be a problem.
You said you didn’t have any income. Is it an innocent spouse situation? How come you were charged with income taxes if you only have SS income?
The IRS hit me with taxes interest and penalty. I had been living on savings and didn’t see where I owed any taxes at all. I tried to find out why they thought I owed. Even got to talk to a rather nasty person who blew me off. Once I started getting SS they kept money from my SS check every month until they were satisfied. Never did find out how someone with no income had to pay taxes.
bettykath,
The conduit is mandatory withholding. How difficult is that?
The IRS thinks they’re doing something? All they’re doing is collecting revenue that’s already withheld. Oh, my. Garnish somebody’s wages. How difficult is that? The IRS is a most frightening force. Not. Most of them don’t know shit. Send Al Capone to Alcatraz again.
bill mcwilliams 1, June 14, 2012 at 5:21 pm
In my opinion, the Mellon money was properly classified as a campaign contribution.
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From what I understand, the FEC did not consider it a campaign contribution.
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Scott, Wasn’t the recipient of the money the woman? and Young the conduit?
However, the Justice Department comes out of the trial with the most tarnished reputation for yielding to the allure of a high-profile trial at the cost of due process.
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What due process? Is that an illusion? Let’s just call reality what it is. Or is that too difficult for the esquires to bite on? Since when? Because they’re always the smartest guys in the room. Of course they are. Until they find out they aren’t. Then they’re thinking, damn that wasn’t supposed to happen.
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Scott, forget about the tax penalty. The IRS likes to brag that they got Al Capone eighty years ago. What have they done lately? Nothing.
Why no follow-up on the tax evasion angle? Isn’t there a $10,000 limit on tax-free monetary gifts? If someone here was the recipient of ~$900K, wouldn’t there be some taxes to pay on it? (Yes, and it could be said that John wasn’t the recipient and Andrew Young has immunity. So nobody is left holding the tax bag?)
Gene,
Will email you this evening … promise
We had unexpected company all of whom we ere very happy to see but my week has been full!
In my opinion, the Mellon money was properly classified as a campaign contribution. How some people justify their opinion that this case was
nothing more than a political vendetta and waste of money is beyond me.
What raff and Blouise said.
(P.S. Blouise, speaking of palace intrigue, you’ve yet to tell me what you thought of the GoT finale.)
” … I am proud of the skilled and professional way in which our prosecutors … conducted this trial.” (Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer)
Of course you are.
The next time you testify before Congress or advise the Attorney General and the White House on matters of criminal law be sure to tell them of your pride in the skills of those particular prosecutors.
That admiration for failure and stupidity may get you another National Law Journal’s “Visionary” award.
If they are dropping charges they have a few free prosecutors that can look into that torture “thingie” during the Bush Administration.
A cad, not a criminal. I would like Bunny Mellon to weight in on this. Nice photo of Jonboy. Now we need the follow-up story. Is he porking the alternate juror yet?
http://jonathanturley.org/2012/06/12/median-net-worth-of-american-families-down-40-percent/
perhaps the injustice department has figured out that they’ve been figured out?
How much money, time and effort did they piss away on this useless activity? Now they are going after Larry “wide stance” Craig for the same thing.
Don’t they know there are kids walking around with a joint or two in their pockets that they should be prosecuting instead?
Seriously, if this is how they chose to spend their work days crime must not be a problem in the country at all.
Smart move to drop it.
They shouldn’t have brought the damn charges to start with…… It was a vendetta…. Baron made it clear before he died why he gave the money……