John Edwards’ Two Americas?
The Multi-Millionaire Trial Attorneys and Bundlers Who Got their Money Refunded;
The Working Stiffs Who Were Kept in the Dark

* The John Edwards’ campaign has already refunded $3,831,398 to contributors–many who contributed the maximum of $2300.
* 2,247 donors have already received money back from the John Edwards–many who are trial attorneys and political “bundlers”–and most received it back on March 24.
* Refunds to small donors under $100 have accounted for only 1/5th of one percent, so far, according to Open Secrets.com.
* The Edwards campaign still has $4,791,200 cash on hand, according to its July 31, 2008 filing.
* There are no instructions on the Edwards’ campaign website for applying for a refund, though the campaign is still taking donations on the same site. It may be that refunds will be issued on a “first come, first serve” basis, but that is speculation. More on the refund process in a DBKP story to be published later Monday.

For any readers who gave money to the John Edwards’ campaign and are now upset that perhaps that hard-earned $50 or $100 (or more) went to pay for Rielle Hunter’s stay in the tony Governor’s Club, or for Edwards operative, Andrew Young, whose BWM that Hunter drove for awhile–as has been reported in the National Enquirer: there’s hope yet to recover that money.

While searching for info on another John Edwards’ story, DBKP’s LBG uncovered something previously unreported in the media: the Edwards’ campaign made a number of refunds to campaign contributors on March 24. Most were large contributors–trial attorneys and political contribution bundlers–and many received $2300, or more, back from the Edwards’ campaign. Many not only received refunds for themselves, but members of their families who had contributed, also received checks from the campaign in March.

For a candidate that ran on a “Two Americas” theme, when it came time for refunds, only One America got campaign refund checks, while the other America was kept in the dark.

Until now.

[ALSO at DBKP:
* Edwards ‘08 For President Bundlers Who Received Refunds
* Edwards’ Campaign Quietly Refunds Contributions to Bundlers, Big Backers]

Warren Buffet told CNBC last week: “I’ve seen a lot of class-action suits with less to it than this particular case. The facts are clear. I mean, he [John Edwards] solicited money and he wasn’t telling the truth to the people he was soliciting it from.”

Buffet was talking class action, but DBKP has learned that the Edwards’ campaign has refunded $3,831,398–the bulk of it back on March 24, when the campaign quietly issued refunds to the vast majority of the 2,247 who’ve received their money back.

Many of those receiving refunds were big trial attorneys and bundlers–those political money men/women who round up boatloads of cash for a candidate’s campaign.

One such bundler was Atlanta attorney, Stephen Leeds. He received $2300 back on March 24. Apparently, at least one of the contributors–who gave Leeds $750 of her money for Edwards–has not received any money back from the campaign.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in a story Sunday of one such former Edwards’ backer who wants her money back.

“That’s money I could have put in my children’s college fund,” state Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield (D-Atlanta) said of her contributions to Edwards.

Continue reading: John Edwards Scandal: Many Big Edwards Donors Got Refunds in March

by Mondoreb
Source: John Edwards Scandal: Many Big Edwards Donors Got Refunds in March

Mondoreb blogs at Death By 1000 Papercuts. Interested readers can e-mail him at
mondoreb@gmail.com. All DBKP stories are filed under Mondoreb at BNN.