John Edwards in desperate bid to avoid jail time

[HMG] – In the ongoing scandal that is the life and [former] career of John Edwards, it seems the former candidate for the White House is now trying to make a deal that will save him from jail.

The 56-year old career politician is currently facing a grand jury in Raleigh, North Carolina, where both the FBI and the IRS are investigating campaign violations, primarily that John paid his mistress, Rielle Hunter ‘hush money,’ which was illegally sourced from campaign funds.

[Documents show John's 'Political Action Committee' paid Rielle's firm $100,000 for video production in 2006, followed by another $14,000 on April 5 of 2007.]

The jury has been in session since April last year and are said to be close to a verdict that could put John in jail. And he’s not too pleased.

“John does not want to be indicted – and he certainly doesn’t want to go to jail!” a source tells the Huff Post. “The prosecutors have put the screws on him and it appears he will admit some guilt; He’s willing to cop to a misdemeanor charge, and he’s asking to keep his law license.”

[John studied law at the University of North Carolina; Chapel Hill, and graduated with honors in 1977 - the same year he married Elizabeth.]

The source also says that John has been working “around-the-clock with his lawyers to work out a deal.”

On December 28, 2006, John officially announced he was running for President. Ten months later the affair with Rielle became public and the ‘hush money’ rumors began. Then Rielle revealed she was carrying John’s child. A campaign aide, Andrew Young quickly claimed he was the father, but later told the world in a book that John knew he was the dad all along.

Young has since become one of the prosecution’s star witnesses before the Grand Jury.

Last May, with the Jury already in session, John assured his supporters he had nothing to fear;

“I am confident that no funds from my campaign were used improperly,” he said.

The verdict is so far unknown as the Jury is still in closed session. But once they decide John’s ultimate fate we will keep you informed…