Friday, June 22, 2007

Poor John Edwards   [Byron York]

In the last several weeks, a number of Democrats have been cooling on John Edwards, troubled by what has become known as "the house, the hedge fund, and the haircut."  Now they've got another reason.  The New York Times reports that Edwards' much-ballyhooed tax-exempt poverty center in North Carolina, the Center for Progress and Opportunity, mainly benefited one person: John Edwards.

The organization became a big part of a shadow political apparatus for Mr. Edwards after his defeat as the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2004 and before the start of his presidential bid this time around. Its officers were members of his political staff, and it helped pay for his nearly constant travel, including to early primary states…

While Mr. Edwards said the organization’s purpose was “making the eradication of poverty the cause of this generation,” its federal filings say it financed “retreats and seminars” with foreign policy experts on Iraq and national security issues….

"He wanted to learn, travel and be in a position to be a viable candidate," said J. Edwin Turlington, a Raleigh lawyer who was the manager of Mr. Edward’s 2003 presidential exploratory committee. "He had the ability to raise money to fund his activities. He had a vision, and he knew it would take money."

In his financial disclosure reports, Edwards has reported personal assets of about $30 million.

06/22 07:32 AMShare