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John Edwards Trial: "When Harry Met Sally" Day

The Government's next witness after Cheri Young is expected to be former Edwards aide Josh Brumburger. Brumburger was with Edwards at the Regency when Rielle Hunter came over to introduce herself. Brumberger was wary of Rielle and expressed his concerns to Edwards. Ultimately, Edwards fired Brumberger.

You can read the supposed backstory in this lengthy excerpt from Game Change by Josh Heilemann and Mark Helperin.

From the Government's Exhibit list, it appears the Government will introduce e-mails between Brumberger and Edwards staff members and two e-mails between Brumberger and Rielle Hunter regarding Russell Simmons. Also, Brumberger sent an email to someone on May 10, 2006 about "Bunny said no on plane." [More...]

According to the Game Plan excerpt, he had conversations with Edwards about a donor paying for Rielle's campaign web videos.

For months, [campaign manager Nick Baldick] used the project’s enormous price tag as a reason to resist signing her contract. But eventually, a big check came in from one of Edwards’s donors, and that gave John his trump card. “Now Nick can’t tell me no,” he said to Brumberger triumphantly.

This ABC News article from January, 2011, describes the source of payments to Hunter, Baldick's connection and what Edwards' then lawyer, James Cooney said about them.

Federal records show the One America Committee paid Midline Groove more than $100,000 for producing Internet videos. Cooney said the nonprofit paid the firm a similar amount. Edwards did not sign the agreements, but they were reviewed by appropriate personnel at both organizations, Cooney said.

Rielle took issue with Brumberger's description of her when she came over to his and Edwards' table at the Regency, as published in Game Plan:

She looked like a hybrid of Stevie Nicks and Lucinda Williams, in an outfit more suitable for a Grateful Dead concert than an evening at the Regency.

Rielle responded:

In reality, I was wearing a black TSE cashmere sweater, a Kenneth Cole suede jacket, and jeans. But in his mind, I’m dressed to go to a Grateful Dead concert. Total projection!”

Hopefully the Government is calling him for something substantive related to the charges, and not just to describe "When Harry Met Sally."

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  • Display: Sort:
    Please Tell Me... (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by ScottW714 on Wed May 02, 2012 at 01:34:00 PM EST
    ...this campaign is uniquely different in it's pathetic junior high BS and list of unsavory characters.

    One thing I can't figure out is how the Young's keep most of the payoff money for themselves, freely admit it, and that is kosher.  But payoff money to another party, the party is was meant to go to, which seems to be considerably less, is a big fricken deal.

    Seems to me like the Young's straight up stole money.

    it's not kosher (none / 0) (#2)
    by Jeralyn on Wed May 02, 2012 at 02:32:36 PM EST
    but they got immunity from prosecution in exchange for testifying against Edwards.

    Parent
    Yes, and (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by Zorba on Wed May 02, 2012 at 02:56:44 PM EST
    isn't this special?  I've pretty much never really trusted any testimony from anyone who has received "immunity" for their testimony in such cases.  They're trying to save their own @sses and give the prosecution what they want, in exchange for this testimony, which not surprisingly, is what the prosecutors wanted in the first place.  Imagine my surprise, and my skepticism in regards to their testimony.

    Parent
    Susan McDougal is exhibit A (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by gyrfalcon on Wed May 02, 2012 at 03:16:03 PM EST
    for this, and what happens to you if you refuse.  She stuck to her guns anyway.  (Her book is an excellent read, btw, very well written, not a "poor me" story, and full of good stuff about women's prisons and inmates.)

    Parent
    Oh my gosh I had forgotten (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by sj on Wed May 02, 2012 at 04:11:15 PM EST
    about her.  She is a truly heroic figure in my mind.

    Parent
    You should dig up her book (none / 0) (#7)
    by gyrfalcon on Fri May 04, 2012 at 10:57:49 PM EST
    You'd really love it.  It's a darn good book and much of it quite thoughtful and fascinating, not at all a self-serving "celebrity" memoir.

    I'm impessed very much by the fact that after a few rounds of interviews after she got out, she's quite firmly insisted on retreating out of the limelight and living her own life.  I do wonder what she's doing these days.

    Parent

    OK (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by ScottW714 on Thu May 03, 2012 at 10:01:58 AM EST
    That makes sense, but damn, they would rather go after a political issue then the theft of a large amount of money.  That is crazy.

    Parent