John Edwards Admits to Affair

Former U.S. senator and Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards admitted Friday to an extramarital affair. He denied being the father of the woman's child, as had been alleged in tabloid reports.


"In 2006, I made a serious error in judgment and conducted myself in a way that was disloyal to my family and to my core beliefs," he said in a written statement. "I recognized my mistake and I told my wife that I had a liaison with another woman, and I asked for her forgiveness."

In an interview set to air Friday night on ABC's "Nightline," Edwards acknowledged the affair with 42-year-old Rielle Hunter, which began after she was hired to make documentary videos for his campaign, ABC said.


"You cannot beat me up more than I have already beaten up myself. I have been stripped bare and will now work with everything I have to help my family and others who need my help," he added in the statement.

He said he has not taken a paternity test but that the timing of the affair rules out the possibility that he could be the father of Hunter's 5-month-old daughter. Edwards said Friday night he is "truly hopeful" that a paternity test will be done to squelch the rumors.

Andrew Young, a former Edwards campaign aide who is married, has publicly said he fathered the child. The Washington Post reported Friday that Hunter acknowledged Young as the father.

When the tabloid the National Enquirer first reported the affair in October, Edwards flatly denied it, calling the claims "false" and "ridiculous."

Speaking in support of Obama in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Friday, Edwards' former rival Sen. Hillary Clinton responded briefly to a reporter's question about what, if any, impact the revelation of the affair would have on Democrats.

"My thoughts and prayer are with the Edwards family today," she said. "That's all I have to say."

Article from CNN.com