Judge in Edwards trial limits defense testimony

Associated Press

GREENSBORO, N.C.

The judge overseeing the criminal trial of John Edwards will sharply curtail the testimony of a key witness for the defense who could raise doubt about whether the former presidential candidate broke campaign-finance laws.

Edwards’ lawyers had intended to call former Federal Election Commission chairman Scott E. Thomas as their first witness Monday morning, but prosecutors objected.

Judge Catherine C. Eagles sent the jury home early so she could listen as Thomas answered questions to preview his intended testimony.

Thomas said it was his opinion that nearly $1 million secretly provided by two campaign donors and used to hide the Democrat’s pregnant mistress while he sought the White House in 2008 did not qualify as campaign contributions under existing federal law.

“These are intensely personal, by their very nature,” said Thomas, who served on the FEC from 1986 to 2006. “In my view, this is a clear-cut case that the payments were not campaign contributions.”

Thomas cited past cases before the FEC to support his position, including a $96,000 payment by the parents of former Republican Sen. John Ensign of Nevada to his mistress that was determined not to violate the law.

Thomas also said FEC law was so complicated that reasonable and knowledgeable people can disagree about whether something qualifies as a political contribution.