John Edwards Scandal: Baby Named, Hush Money Paid

It's a Girl!




The National Enquirer turned up the heat on a scandal the Mainstream press has refused to investigate.

The Enquirer's latest salvo in the on-going "John Edwards Love Child Scandal" will a report that Rielle Hunter, the mother of Edwards' love child, is being paid $15,000 a month in "hush money".

The money is being funneled to Hunter by a wealthy colleague who was closely tied to the Edwards’ campaign. This same man is also shoveling cash to Edwards’ pal and former aide Andrew Young – who tried to take the heat off the ex-Senator by claiming he is the father of Rielle’s baby.

And The ENQUIRER is also exclusively revealing that Rielle’s baby is a girl named Frances Quinn Hunter and was born at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

“A super-rich pal – who was closely involved with the campaign finances – is helping John. It’s likely this man doesn’t know all the dirty details of John’s extramarital affair, but is acting out of loyalty and is not asking a lot of questions – only writing the checks,” revealed a source very close to the situation.

One other revelation in the latest update is that Edwards is also reportedly "shoveling cash to Edwards’ pal and former aide Andrew Young – who tried to take the heat off the ex-Senator by claiming he is the father of Rielle’s baby."

The results of the National Enquirer's year-long investigation, which had seven reporters assigned to the story, are revealed on the tabloid's website.

The Enquirer's latest update also reminds readers of last week's confrontation between Edwards and the Enquirer's reporters as he left the Beverly Hilton at 2:40 in the morning.

"Edwards, 55, was confronted by ENQUIRER reporters, but refused to answer questions and instead hid in a public men’s restroom until security escorted him off hotel grounds."

The mainstream press has maintained a remarkable 'cone of silence' around the Edwards' story. The excuses heard are usually along the lines of "It's the Enquirer"--which doesn't address the issue of why no Mainstream Media reporters have asked Edwards any questions about the affair.

It also doesn't address the issue of why major "news" organization didn't report the independent corroboration of FoxNews, who last week interviewed one of the security guards at the Beverly Hilton and confirmed Edwards' running from the Enquirer's reporters.

The news blackout began to be slowly lifted in the last week, as Slate, The Times, Independent, and a few American newspapers reported the Edwards-reporters standoff in the Beverly Hilton.

Hush money and back-channel payments made by political figures in any cover-up schemes usually get any reporter's blood hot for more info.

We'll see if the latest news excites any interest in the MSM.

by Mondoreb

UPDATE #1: 10:50 EDT July 30 2008:

Ryan Tate, of Gawker, makes several good points in Edwards Mistress' Hush Money: $15,000/Month:

There's been no confirmation of any of this yet from reputable newspapers, like the one that told us about the secret scientist who knew where Saddam Hussein hid his chemical and biological weapons, or from the one that said Puff Daddy was in on the plot to gun down Tupac Shakur. So, gosh, who knows if it can be trusted! But if you still want some salacious details on this hush money stuff — or word from Radar on how the mistress is trying to negotiate her share of this feeding frenzy — it's yours after the jump.

Exactly. The new MSM motto seems to be--at least on the John Edwards story: "We won't give our readers any scandal news on John Edwards or do any investigations, but if the Enquirer does it for us and publishes the pictures, then we'll tell you about it."

As Tate points out, "The publications are also hungry for photos even though pictures of Edwards in or near a hotel will prove precisely nothing scandalous, in and of themselves. Talk about missing the point."

Liberal media?... What liberal media?
The The National Enquirer has scooped the liberal media... again.

Verily, verily: it is that bad and it's so sad.

UPDATE #4: 13:00 EDT July 30 2008:

Gawker's Alex Pareene--who's written several good commentaries on the convoluted contortions of most of the major news outlets in the story have underwent--in email yesterday called the non-coverage by the mainstream press, "bizarre".

"..it's bizarre and also not too surprising to see everyone remain so quiet on a story just because they don't want it to be true."

Pareene also made a prediction of sorts--with a sigh:

"That'll change soon, I'm sure. Once GMA or Today pays Rielle enough for an on-screen interview (or someone tracks down John's child support money) we'll get some coverage and a LOT of self-flagellating media "oh no culture of scandal" moaning."

by Mondoreb