Former presidential candidate John Edwards was found not guilty Thursday on one charge that he accepted illegal campaign contributions, and a federal judge declared a mistrial on five other charges when a jury deadlocked after nine days of deliberations.
A look of relief spread over Edwards' face as he learned that his year-long fight against government prosecutors appeared to be over, and he hugged his lawyers, his daughter Cate and his parents, who sat behind him in the courtroom for most of the trial.
"Thank goodness we live in a country that has the kind of system we have," Edwards said outside the courthouse before heading home.
Federal prosecutors will have to decide whether to retry Edwards on the five charges, but legal experts said it would be unlikely.
"They got almost every evidentiary ruling in this case in their favor (and) the jury instructions (were) in their favor. They couldn't try a better case, and having said all that, this jury was just very divided," said Kieran Shanahan, a Raleigh lawyer and former federal prosecutor who attended most of Edwards' trial. "It just makes very little sense, in my opinion, to try it a second time."
Shanahan noted that some key witnesses will never testify because they're either dead or too frail to appear, and other witnesses aren't credible enough to get a conviction. Also, he said, the evidence is too shaky when dealing with complex campaign finance laws, he said.
"It seems like the government's prosecution was pressing the outer edge of campaign finance law," he said.
Jurors declined to comment as they left the courthouse.
The eight-man, four-woman jury deliberated for about 50 hours since May 18, and they told U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles that they had "exhausted every aspect" by late Thursday and couldn't come to an agreement.
Earlier in the afternoon, they sent a note indicating that they had "reached a decision" on all six charges.
When jurors were brought into the courtroom, however, the jury foreman stammered when Eagles asked if they had a unanimous verdict. He said they had one verdict, and the judge stopped him from commenting further.
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell immediately asked that Eagles declare a mistrial on the five other charges since jurors were obviously deadlocked. Prosecutors opposed the motion, saying the jury needed to spend more time considering the case before giving up.
Eagles said she didn't want the jurors to feel like prisoners, but she asked them to continue deliberating on the remaining charges.
"It is your duty to agree on a unanimous verdict if you can do so without surrendering (your) conviction," she said. "It is possible you have already done what I am asking you to do."
Jury agrees on one charge
The charge that the jury was able to agree on alleged that Edwards accepted illegal campaign contributions from Virginia heiress Rachel "Bunny" Mellon in 2008. The charge involved two checks that Mellon routed through a friend to one-time Edwards aide Andrew Young that weren't cashed until after Edwards had dropped out of the 2008 presidential campaign.
The remaining charges involve alleged illegal contributions from Mellon in 2007 and from Texas trial lawyer Fred Baron in 2007 and 2008, filing false campaign finance reports and engaging in a criminal conspiracy.
The government alleged that Edwards, a former U.S. senator, masterminded a scheme to use nearly $1 million in secret payments from Mellon and Baron, his late campaign finance chairman, to hide his pregnant mistress, Rielle Hunter, as he sought the White House.
Defense attorneys argued Edwards had little direct knowledge of the cover-up, which they say was directed by Baron and Young.
Young was the star prosecution witness, and he spent nearly five days on the witness stand – about one-third of the three weeks the government spent to present its case – outlining a sordid tale of politics, sex and money.
But Lowell painted Young as an experienced liar, noting inconsistencies between his testimony and what he had written in his tell-all book about Edwards' affair and failed campaign and said in previous interviews. He also pointed out that Young and his wife spent most of the money on an upscale home they were building near Chapel Hill and other personal expenses.
Young's wife and Mellon's friend, Charlotte interior decorator Bryan Huffman, described the scheme in which checks were funneled from Mellon through Huffman to the Youngs to pay for Hunter's expenses.
A string of former campaign staffers related to jurors stories about Edwards' relationships with Hunter and his cancer-stricken wife, Elizabeth, and his efforts to cultivate Mellon as a donor. Defense attorneys suggested that some staffers were only interested in bringing Edwards down so they could write books about the case.
The defense maintained that any cover-up was aimed at keeping Elizabeth Edwards from knowing that the affair had continued long after John Edwards had told his wife it had ended and after Hunter had stopped working for his campaign. They argued that Mellon and Baron were merely trying to help a friend and would have provided him with money even if he weren't running for president.
Lowell and defense attorneys Allison van Laningham and Alan Duncan focused their three-day defense on the intricacies of federal campaign finance law, offering Edwards' former campaign financial officer and a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, who said money from outsiders used to hide a candidate's affair aren't considered campaign contributions.
Edwards didn't testify in his defense, and neither prosecutors nor the defense called Hunter as a witness.
Edwards speaks publicly
After the mistrial was declared, Edwards made his first public statement since a grand jury indictment was announced last June 3.
"While I do not think I did anything illegal or ever thought I was doing anything illegal, I did an awful, awful lot that was wrong," he said. "There is no one else responsible for my sins – none of the people who came to court to testify are responsible, nobody working for the government is responsible. I am responsible."
Edwards also thanked the jurors for their service and thanked his parents, Wallace and Bobbie Edwards, for driving to Greensboro from their home in Robbins every day to support him. He also thanked his eldest daughter, Cate Edwards Upham, for her daily support as well and said he looked forward to spending time with his two other children with his late wife, Emma Claire and Jack.
He choked up when he mentioned the daughter he has with Hunter, proclaiming that he loves "my precious Quinn" more than anyone could imagine and that he was grateful for her.
Edwards concluded by saying he hopes to once again work on the anti-poverty efforts that were the cornerstone of his two campaigns for president.
"I don't think God's through with me. I really believe He thinks there's still some good things I can do," he said. "I want to dedicate my life to being the best dad I can be and to helping those kids who I think deserve help and whom I hope I can help."
How Sad That A Man With Such A Promising Political Career Could Lose It All In One Swoop Simply For The Sake Of A Piece Of "Hot Tail"!
Yeah I Said It!
Edwards Had An Illict, Adulterous Fling Outside His Marriage With A Woman (Rielle Hunter) Who Possibly Carefully Calculated & Planned To Have An Adulterous Affair With John Edwards, Once A VERY Loyal, Married Man!
Am I Totally Blaming Edwards' Mistress Rielle Hunter For What Happened To John Edwards' Marriage?
No! Not Entirely However She Does Bare Some Blame.
Rielle Hunter Who Claims To Be A Professional Videographer, Knew Full Well John Edwards Was A VERY Married Man!
What Do I Mean By VERY Married?
Well Not All Married Men Are Committed & Loyal To Their Legally Wedded Wives.
Some Men Only Marry For Professional Or Political Reasons.
Especially If Their Wives Are From Wealthy Or Politically-Connected Families.
Nothing Wrong With Marrying A Good Woman From A Great Background, Except If AFTER His Wedding Ceremony The Husband Immediately Returns To Dalliances With Former Girlfriends Or Secretaries.
In Edwards' Case That Didn't Appear To Be The Norm.
Unless That Is It Was But Was Kept Hidden From The Public's Eye By Loyal Friends And Employees.
Is It Safe To Say That John Edwards, A Southern White Man Of Great Wealth & Prominence Living In North Carolina (Land Of "White Supremacy") Was Enabled By His Loyal Friends & Employees While Engaging In An Illict Affair?
YES!! A Thousand Times YES!
Is It Also Safe To Say If John Edwards Were A BLACK Man From North Carolina, Governor Bev Perdue Would Already Have His Head On A Platter For Such Behavior & Criminal Activity?
YES! A Thousand Times YES!
I Guess I Should Feel Sorry For Edwards But He Doesn't Deserve It.
Even If Rielle Did Intentionally Seduce Him (Not Saying She Actually Did Because I Don't Know), Edwards An Well-Educated Attorney & Politician, Should Have Known Better!
He Had A Devoted Wife Elizabeth (Deceased) & Wonderful Children At Home, Who Obviously LOVED Him Very Much!
What Piece Of "Hot Tail" Is Worth More Than A Man's Devoted Wife & Family??
Since He Created Mankind, Allow Me To Ask God Himself What Is It That Makes A Man OR Woman Throw Away Their Family & Career Just For A Sexual Fling? i.e,.Piece Of "Hot Tail"?
"I'm Married Not Blind" Is The Path Many Married Men & Women Take As An Excuse For Staring Too Long At Or Spending Too Much Time With Other Members Of The Opposite Sex.
Not Realizing The Longer They Stare Or The More Time They Spend With Other Members Of The Opposite Sex, They More Often Than Not Can Become Caught Up In Sexual Fantasy Land.
Unfortunately Many Married Men & Women Don't Realize What Has Happened Until AFTER The Damage Is Done.
(Remember Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford (R)?)
Marriages Ending In Divorce & Careers Destroyed!
In Edwards' Case He Even Lost His Beloved, Devoted, Faithful Wife Who Died NOT Just From Cancer But More So From A Broken Heart.
So Should I Feel Sorry For John Edwards'?
NO!! A Thousand Times NO!
I Only Pray He Repents Before God Almighty & Seek His Forgiveness.
I Only Pray His Children Are Able To Forgive Him.
But If Former U.S. Senator John Edwards Did Illegally Use Campaign Finance Funds To Hide & Hush An Illict Adulterous Affair With Rielle Hunter, (His Mistress) Then He SHOULD Pay To The Fullest Extent Of The Law!
As Mentioned Above Edwards, A Well-Educated White Attorney & Politician Knew EXACTLY What He Was Doing But He Kept Doing It Anyway, Sending Himself Deeper Into A Pit Of Entanglement.
Never Mind That He Hurt His Wife & Children Deeply.
He Kept Seeing This Woman Anyway.
Thus He SHOULD PAY!
If Edwards Seeks God's Forgiveness God WILL Forgive Him But He Still Needs To PAY Because Forgiveness Does NOT Eliminate Consequences.
John Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina and presidential candidate, was indicted Friday morning by a grand jury in Raleigh on charges that he violated campaign finance law during his 2008 presidential campaign.
Mr. Edwards is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in Winston-Salem, N.C., at 2:30 p.m. before Magistrate Judge Patrick Auld.
The grand jury, which has been investigating the case for two years, indicted Mr. Edwards on six counts — four involving illegal payments, one involving conspiracy and one involving false statements. “Mr. Edwards is alleged to have accepted more than $900,000 in an effort to conceal from the public facts that he believed would harm his candidacy,” Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer said in a statement. “As this indictment shows, we will not permit candidates for high office to abuse their special ability to access the coffers of their political supporters to circumvent our election laws.”
At issue are financial contributions that prosecutors say Mr. Edwards received in excess of federal limits, did not report properly and then misused for the political purpose of hiding his extramarital affair to save his candidacy. Mr. Edwards, 57, has maintained that he used the money to hide the affair, but for private purposes — to conceal it from his wife.
Mr. Edwards had a chance to reach a plea agreement and avoid the indictment, but he chose not to do so and will fight the charges, his lawyers said.
The decision to fight could lead to a long, messy, public trial and possible jail sentence for Mr. Edwards, or it could lead to his acquittal.
The decision to risk a trial reflects confidence by some on the Edwards legal team that the government’s case would not hold up in court.
“The government’s theory is wrong on the facts and wrong on the law,” Greg Craig, one of Mr. Edwards’s lawyers, said in a statement last week.
The decision also reflects the strong feeling by Mr. Edwards that no matter how much he has disgraced himself — by lying to his wife and to the country about an extramarital affair, which wrecked his marriage and ended his political career — _ he does not want to be seen as a felon or lose his law license.
“John Edwards has done wrong in his life — and he knows it better than anyone,” Mr. Craig said in his statement, “but he did not break the law.”
Elizabeth Edwards will be buried Saturday in Raleigh, next to her oldest son, who was killed 14 years ago in a traffic accident, according to Brown-Wynne Funeral Home.
Edwards died of cancer Tuesday at her home surrounded by her three children, siblings, friends and her estranged husband, John. She was 61.
According to Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, a public funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Edenton Street United Methodist Church, located at 228 W. Edenton St. in Raleigh.
A private burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Wade Edwards Foundation.
Elizabeth Edwards' legacy: toughness amid tragedy
A son dying young. A six-year battle with cancer. A humiliating betrayal.
Americans knew Elizabeth Edwards in large part through her tragedies, but more importantly, they knew her for the vitality and determination she showed through them. Her cancer incurable and her former-presidential-candidate husband mired in a paternity scandal, she did not shrink from public life but shared her story and advocated for health-care reform.
"We can look at that face of courage and realize we can have that, too," said Darlene Gardner, 62, who runs a cancer support group and founded a store in Cary that provides wigs and other items for those with the disease. "It shows you that, in spite of everything that's going on, you can come through anything."
Elizabeth Edwards and her family had informed the public that she had weeks, if not days, left when they announced on Monday that doctors had told her that further treatment would do no good. Ever the public figure, Edwards thanked supporters on her Facebook page.
"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered," she wrote. "We know that. And yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful."
Her final days were in the company of her surviving children and their father.
"He loved Elizabeth," David "Mudcat" Saunders, a political adviser and friend of the family, said of John Edwards. "You climb that many mountains and you go through the deepest valley that two people can possibly go through together — the loss of a child — and that makes for an incredible bond."
Saunders relayed a scene from Monday, told to him by John Edwards, when their youngest child, 10-year-old Jack, came in the room to tell his mother he loved her. She smiled at him and said, "I love you, too, sweetie," Saunders said.
Edwards shared her life struggles in memoirs. In a series of book events starting in 2006, her insights brought women who confided in Edwards about how they dealt with hair loss from treatments or how her words helped them cope with lost children.
In her book "Saving Graces," Edwards talked about collapsing in the aisle of a grocery store after seeing her son's favorite soda — Cherry Coke_ a few months after he died in a car accident at the age of 16. Later, she wrote about how physically grueling the cancer treatments were. This year, she detailed in a new chapter to her second memoir how difficult it was to leave her husband of 30 years after his infidelity.
"In her life, Elizabeth Edwards knew tragedy and pain," President Barack Obama said in a statement. "Many others would have turned inward; many others in the face of such adversity would have given up. But through all that she endured, Elizabeth revealed a kind of fortitude and grace that will long remain a source of inspiration."
On Facebook, an Elizabeth Edwards fan page was inundated with several posts a minute after her death was announced. Many of those offering condolences mentioned their own experiences with cancer, or those of their relatives.
"People identified with her and saw how courageous she was under extemely difficult circumstances," said Barbara Chassin, a 62-year-old cancer survivor from Phoenix, in an interview. "Also, she was fairly realistic about her prognosis, and that's a good thing."
Dr. Linda Vahdat, an oncologist and director of the Breast Cancer Research Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, said Edwards' public discussions about her diagnosis, illness and treatment has helped has helped raise awareness. She said her breast cancer patients were talking about Edwards on Tuesday.
"They're sad," Vahdat said. "People have always been rooting for her."
The Edwardses' son Wade died before John Edwards turned to politics. Two of their three children, Emma Claire and Jack, were born after his death, joining daughter Cate.
Elizabeth Edwards advised her husband during his successful 1998 Senate campaign in North Carolina and his presidential runs in 2004 and 2008. Doctors found a lump on her breast in 2004, in the final days of her husband's vice presidential campaign, and she was later diagnosed. The Democratic John Kerry-John Edwards ticket lost to incumbent President George W. Bush.
After treatments, doctors found her to be cancer-free, but in early 2007, shortly after John Edwards launched a second bid for the White House, the couple learned that her cancer had returned in an incurable form.
"We are not in denial," Edwards wrote in an updated version of her first memoir published in 2007. "I will die much sooner than I want to. I will leave a splendid man and an amazing daughter with yet another funeral to attend when they place me in the ground next to Wade and I will not be able to comfort them. And I will leave two magical children whom I love with all my being too early."
Her husband added to her suffering with an affair with videographer Rielle Hunter that he publicly acknowledged in 2008. Instead of playing a role in the final weeks of the presidential race, which Edwards had quit after poor primary showings, he and Elizabeth retreated almost entirely from public life.
Hunter had a baby that John Edwards insisted was not his until January 2010, when he acknowledged he had fathered the child. A week later, friends revealed that he and Elizabeth had separated.
While Elizabeth Edwards pleaded for privacy, she also wrote a memoir -- her second -- that discussed how the affair repulsed her. She went on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to talk about it, but only on the condition that Winfrey not mention Hunter's name.
Edwards said in interviews that it didn't matter whether her husband had fathered a child with Hunter, saying, "that would be part of John's life." Still, she stood by him.
"Nothing will be quite as I want it, but sometimes we eat the toast that is burned on one side anyway, don't we?" she wrote in the memoir, "Resilience."
With no campaign to focus on, Elizabeth Edwards returned to advocacy work, appearing on her own and often without any mention of her husband to push for universal health care. She often wondered aloud about the plight of those who faced the same of kind of physical struggles she did but without her personal wealth.
"Even at the end of her life to reassure people that she still felt that living a life that was filled with hope and really believing in resilience gave meaning to her life," Jennifer Palmieri, a family friend and national press secretary for John Edwards' 2004 presidential campaign, said Wednesday on CBS' "The Early Show."
Ellen Schoenfeld, a breast cancer survivor in New York, said Edwards "faced her illness with a ton of strength and a lot of hope and faith. She took it on with such grace and dignity."
Schoenfeld said Edward gave other people with cancer "the motivation to live their lives the way they want to live them," she said. "People might think you need to change the way you live when you get a diagnosis like that, but she wanted to maintain a sense of normalcy, for her kids and for herself, too. I think she just wanted to live as normal a life as possible."
Elizabeth Edwards, a best-selling author and the driving force behind husband John Edwards' political career before it was destroyed by his infidelity, has died of cancer. She was 61.
Gravely ill with cancer that no longer responded to treatment, Elizabeth Edwards was reportedly not in any pain and was surrounded at home in North Carolina by family and friends, including her estranged husband, a former Democratic presidential candidate.
Her death came at 10:15 Tuesday morning, according to a family friend. The scene was described as "very peaceful."
The friend said, "Elizabeth did not want people to say she lost her battle with cancer. The battle was about living a good life and that she won."
Family friends provided NBC News with this statement from the Edwards family:
"Elizabeth Anania Edwards, mother, author, advocate, died today at her home in Chapel Hill, surrounded by her family.
"Today we have lost the comfort of Elizabeth's presence but she remains the heart of this family.
"We love her and will never know anyone more inspiring or full of life.
"On behalf of Elizabeth we want to express our gratitude to the thousands of kindred spirits who moved and inspired her along the way. Your support and prayers touched our entire family.
"In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wade Edwards Foundation which benefits the Wade Edwards Learning Lab." The Edwards' son Wade died in a car accident at age 16 in 1996.
When news began to circulate that Elizabeth had taken a turn for the worse and her cancer had spread to her liver, her family announced Monday that her doctors had recommended against any additional treatment.
"She found out last week and is at peace with where she is right now,” PEOPLE magazine’s Sandra Westfall told TODAY co-anchor Matt Lauer Tuesday before Elizabeth passed away. “She has a home full of relatives, which is how she always wanted it. They are telling stories, looking at old photos, and having as many laughs as tears.”
John Edwards, from whom Elizabeth Edwards separated last year after he acknowledged fathering a child with a former aide to his unsuccessful vice presidential campaign, was with his wife and their three children: Cate, 28; Emma Claire, 12; and Jack, 10.
During an appearance on TODAY last year, Elizabeth Edwards said that while it was difficult not to be able to “lean” on the man she once called “my rock,” she thought it was important to not shut him out.
“For the children she’s put on a brave face, and kept that relationship intact. He’s at the house this week, helping with the children, getting takeout for the family that is visiting,” Westfall said.
Agreeing with Lauer that it must be a difficult time for the children, Westfall said Elizabeth Edwards has been preparing them for her death for some time.
“She, years ago, starting writing a ‘dying letter,’ she called it, so she would have the advice to pass on and always be there with a mother's wisdom when she couldn’t be there physically,” Westfall said.
Elizabeth Edwards wrote two best-selling books, "Resilience" and "Saving Graces," about her long battle with cancer and the scandal surrounding her husband.
Reactions from Leaders
The news of Elizabeth Edwards' death brought messages of condolences and sympathy from around the country. In a statement, Vice President Joe Biden said, "Elizabeth Edwards fought a brave battle against a terrible, ravaging disease that takes too many lives every day. She was an inspiration to all who knew her, and to those who felt they knew her."
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was deeply saddened by Edwards' death.
"America has lost a passionate advocate for building a more humane and just society, for reforming our health-care system, and for finding a cure for cancer once and for all," Clinton said in a statement. "But the Edwards family and her legion of friends have lost so much more — a loving mother, constant guardian, and wise counselor.
"Our thoughts are with the Edwards family at this time, and with all those people across the country who met Elizabeth over the years and found an instant friend — someone who shared their experiences and offered empathy, understanding and hope."
North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican who won the Senate seat previously held by John Edwards in 2008, called Elizabeth Edwards "a passionate advocate for issues she believed in" and "a caring and loving mother."
"Her legacy should serve as an inspiration to all of us," Burr said. "Her life was not without tragedy and adversity, yet through it all she fought for her family and faced every challenge with courage, poise and grace."
Long Battle
Elizabeth Edwards was first diagnosed with cancer in 2004, and learned that the cancer had returned in 2007, as her husband John was preparing for his presidential bid.
On her Facebook page, Edwards had earlier posted the following message:
“You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces — my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined.
“The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It’s called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful.
“It isn’t possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know."
Elizabeth Edwards is surrounded by family and friends in her North Carolina home after being informed by her doctors that further cancer treatment would be unproductive.
"Elizabeth has been advised by her doctors that further treatment of her cancer would be unproductive," the Edwards family said Monday in a statement. "She is resting at home with family and friends and has posted this message to friends on her Facebook page."
The message from Edwards, the wife of two-time presidential candidate John Edwards, reads:
"You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces – my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human.
"But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know."
Edwards was told by her doctors last week that additional cancer treatments were futile, said a source close to the family. Her prognosis was described in terms of weeks, not months, the source said.
She is receiving treatment and medications, however, for symptoms and side effects.
"She is not in pain, Elizabeth is in good spirits," said the source. "She has prepared for this"
John Edwards and their children are at her side, along with Elizabeth's brother and sister.
Elizabeth Edwards, a best-selling author and the driving force behind husband John Edwards' political career before it was destroyed by his infidelity, has died of cancer. She was 61.
Gravely ill with cancer that no longer responded to treatment, Elizabeth Edwards was reportedly not in any pain and was surrounded at home in North Carolina by family and friends, including her estranged husband, a former Democratic presidential candidate.
Her death came at 10:15 Tuesday morning, according to a family friend. The scene was described as "very peaceful."
The friend said, "Elizabeth did not want people to say she lost her battle with cancer. The battle was about living a good life and that she won."
Family friends provided NBC News with this statement from the Edwards family:
"Elizabeth Anania Edwards, mother, author, advocate, died today at her home in Chapel Hill, surrounded by her family.
"Today we have lost the comfort of Elizabeth's presence but she remains the heart of this family.
"We love her and will never know anyone more inspiring or full of life.
"On behalf of Elizabeth we want to express our gratitude to the thousands of kindred spirits who moved and inspired her along the way. Your support and prayers touched our entire family.
"In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wade Edwards Foundation which benefits the Wade Edwards Learning Lab." The Edwards' son Wade died in a car accident at age 16 in 1996.
When news began to circulate that Elizabeth had taken a turn for the worse and her cancer had spread to her liver, her family announced Monday that her doctors had recommended against any additional treatment.
"She found out last week and is at peace with where she is right now,” PEOPLE magazine’s Sandra Westfall told TODAY co-anchor Matt Lauer Tuesday before Elizabeth passed away. “She has a home full of relatives, which is how she always wanted it. They are telling stories, looking at old photos, and having as many laughs as tears.”
John Edwards, from whom Elizabeth Edwards separated last year after he acknowledged fathering a child with a former aide to his unsuccessful vice presidential campaign, was with his wife and their three children: Cate, 28; Emma Claire, 12; and Jack, 10.
During an appearance on TODAY last year, Elizabeth Edwards said that while it was difficult not to be able to “lean” on the man she once called “my rock,” she thought it was important to not shut him out.
“For the children she’s put on a brave face, and kept that relationship intact. He’s at the house this week, helping with the children, getting takeout for the family that is visiting,” Westfall said.
Agreeing with Lauer that it must be a difficult time for the children, Westfall said Elizabeth Edwards has been preparing them for her death for some time.
“She, years ago, starting writing a ‘dying letter,’ she called it, so she would have the advice to pass on and always be there with a mother's wisdom when she couldn’t be there physically,” Westfall said.
Elizabeth Edwards wrote two best-selling books, "Resilience" and "Saving Graces," about her long battle with cancer and the scandal surrounding her husband.
Reactions from Leaders
The news of Elizabeth Edwards' death brought messages of condolences and sympathy from around the country. In a statement, Vice President Joe Biden said, "Elizabeth Edwards fought a brave battle against a terrible, ravaging disease that takes too many lives every day. She was an inspiration to all who knew her, and to those who felt they knew her."
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was deeply saddened by Edwards' death.
"America has lost a passionate advocate for building a more humane and just society, for reforming our health-care system, and for finding a cure for cancer once and for all," Clinton said in a statement. "But the Edwards family and her legion of friends have lost so much more — a loving mother, constant guardian, and wise counselor.
"Our thoughts are with the Edwards family at this time, and with all those people across the country who met Elizabeth over the years and found an instant friend — someone who shared their experiences and offered empathy, understanding and hope."
North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican who won the Senate seat previously held by John Edwards in 2008, called Elizabeth Edwards "a passionate advocate for issues she believed in" and "a caring and loving mother."
"Her legacy should serve as an inspiration to all of us," Burr said. "Her life was not without tragedy and adversity, yet through it all she fought for her family and faced every challenge with courage, poise and grace."
Long Battle
Elizabeth Edwards was first diagnosed with cancer in 2004, and learned that the cancer had returned in 2007, as her husband John was preparing for his presidential bid.
On her Facebook page, Edwards had earlier posted the following message:
“You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces — my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined.
“The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It’s called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful.
“It isn’t possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know."
Elizabeth Edwards is surrounded by family and friends in her North Carolina home after being informed by her doctors that further cancer treatment would be unproductive.
"Elizabeth has been advised by her doctors that further treatment of her cancer would be unproductive," the Edwards family said Monday in a statement. "She is resting at home with family and friends and has posted this message to friends on her Facebook page."
The message from Edwards, the wife of two-time presidential candidate John Edwards, reads:
"You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces – my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human.
"But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know."
Edwards was told by her doctors last week that additional cancer treatments were futile, said a source close to the family. Her prognosis was described in terms of weeks, not months, the source said.
She is receiving treatment and medications, however, for symptoms and side effects.
"She is not in pain, Elizabeth is in good spirits," said the source. "She has prepared for this"
John Edwards and their children are at her side, along with Elizabeth's brother and sister.
Elizabeth Edwards is surrounded by family and friends in her North Carolina home after being informed by her doctors that further cancer treatment would be unproductive.
"Elizabeth has been advised by her doctors that further treatment of her cancer would be unproductive," the Edwards family said Monday in a statement. "She is resting at home with family and friends and has posted this message to friends on her Facebook page."
The message from Edwards, the wife of two-time presidential candidate John Edwards, reads:
"You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces – my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human.
"But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know."
Edwards was told by her doctors last week that additional cancer treatments were futile, said a source close to the family. Her prognosis was described in terms of weeks, not months, the source said.
She is receiving treatment and medications, however, for symptoms and side effects.
"She is not in pain, Elizabeth is in good spirits," said the source. "She has prepared for this"
John Edwards and their children are at her side, along with Elizabeth's brother and sister.
Welcome to the BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ Blog. (Established 2008)
My name is Laurel. (Author & Publisher)
I Blog with a focus on POLITICS, Business, and occasionally Entertainment.
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