EDWARDS INDICTED: ARREST WARRANT ISSUED!

US Department of JUSTICE finishes the job The NATIONAL ENQUIRER started!

After a two year investigation by a Federal Grand Jury into whether Edwards, a two-time Presidential loser, misused political campaign funds to direct a conspiracy of silence to cover-up his affair with mistress Rielle Hunter and the birth of their love child, Justice has FINALLY been served.

Fueled with ammo provided by The ENQUIRER’s exhaustive investigation into the scandal beginning in October 2007, The US Department of Justice approved the judicial cabal to indict the former North Carolina Senator. 

The case of USA v. Johnny Reid Edwards contains six counts, including conspiracy, four counts of illegal campaign contributions and one count of false statements.

The indictment said the payments were a scheme to protect Edwards' White House ambitions. "A centerpiece of Edwards' candidacy was his public image as a devoted family man.

"Edwards knew that public revelation of the affair and the pregnancy would destroy his candidacy by, among other things, undermining Edwards' presentation of himself as a family man and by forcing his campaign to divert personnel and resources away from other campaign activities to respond to criticism and media scrutiny regarding the affair and pregnancy," the indictment added.

The indictment and an arrest warrant were filed in Greensboro, which is located in the Middle District of North Carolina where Edwards presidential campaign was headquartered.

If convicted, Edwards, 57,  faces a maximum  of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the six counts.

Edwards is expected to be arraigned by 2:30 PM at the Federal Court house in Winston-Salem.

The ENQUIRER FIRST reported in July, 2008 that “hush money” was being paid to Edwards’ mistress and Andrew Young, Edwards' married aide who helped cover up the affair.

The news of Edwards’ stunning indictment came as sweet vindication to the first of the team of ENQUIRER reporters who aggressively pursued the story at the outset.  Los Angeles-based reporter Rick Egusquiza learned the news this morning in Texas, where he’s on assignment.

“It feels great to be a reporter for the National Enquirer today,” said Egusquiza. “Edwards denied the story from the beginning, the mainstream media looked the other way for months -- but we knew we were right and we doggedly pursued the story. The indictment is vindication for the hard work our team did in uncovering this massive political scandal involving a presidential candidate.”

Egusquiza's exclusive information from sources led to The ENQUIRER publishing its very first story on the Edwards scandal in our print issue cover-dated Oct. 22, 2007.