John Edwards scandal timeline

John Edwards Scandal Timeline: 2004-2006


Nov. 3, 2004: John Edwards' wife, Elizabeth Edwards, is diagnosed with breast cancer. Her cancer later goes into remission.

2006: John Edwards meets Rielle Hunter, a self-described filmmaker, at a bar in New York City.

Aug. 2, 2006: "Plane Truth," the first of a series of Web documentaries, or "webisodes," chronicling Edwards' course on the campaign trail -- produced by the newly hired Hunter and commissioned by Edwards' political action committee -- is taped.

Aug. 4, 2006: The second webisode, "Golden Rule," is taped.

Late September to early October 2006: "Plight of Uganda" episode taped in Kitgum, Uganda.

Nov. 14, 2006: The fourth webisode, "The Plug," is taped in New York City and airs on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."

Dec. 28, 2006: Edwards announces that he will run for president in 2008.


John Edwards Scandal Timeline: 2007-2008


Early 2007: The webisodes are removed from Edwards' Web site.

March 22, 2007: Elizabeth Edwards announces during a news conference in Chapel Hill, N.C., that her cancer has returned and, while it is treatable, it is incurable.

July 31, 2007: Elizabeth and John Edwards celebrate their 30th anniversary at their local Wendy's.

Oct. 10, 2007: The National Enquirer reports that Edwards had an affair with a former campaign staffer. The publication doesn't mention Hunter by name or its source for the information.

Oct. 11, 2007: Edwards denies having an affair to reporters in Summerton, S.C. "The story is false," Edwards says, according to The Associated Press. "It's completely untrue, ridiculous. ... I've been in love with the same woman for 30-plus years, and as anybody who's been around us knows, she's an extraordinary human being; warm, loving, beautiful, sexy and as good a person as I have ever known."

Dec. 19, 2007: The National Enquirer publishes a photograph of Hunter that shows her pregnant.

Feb. 27, 2008: Hunter's daughter, Frances Quinn Hunter, is born in Santa Barbara, Calif. The name of the child's father is left off the birth certificate.

July 21, 2008: The National Enquirer reports that Edwards visited Hunter at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel.

Aug. 8, 2008: Edwards admits to ABC News' Bob Woodruff that he had an extramarital affair but says he is not the father of Hunter's baby. He adds that he told his family about his relationship with Hunter in 2006 and made a point of telling Woodruff that his wife's cancer was in remission when he began the affair with Hunter.


John Edwards Scandal Timeline: 2009-2011


May 7, 2009: Elizabeth Edwards appears on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to talk about her book, "Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts Facing Life's Adversities." In the interview, she addresses her husband's affair but doesn't use Rielle Hunter's name. Edwards says she doesn't know whether her husband is the father of Hunter's baby.

"I've seen a picture of the baby," Edwards says. "I have no idea. It doesn't look like my children, but I don't have any idea."

Aug. 6, 2009: Rielle Hunter testifies in a federal courthouse in Raleigh, N.C., before a grand jury investigating Edwards' campaign finances. Edwards' political action committee paid Hunter more than $100,000 to her filmmaking company, campaign finance records show.

Dec. 15, 2009: ABC News announces that Andrew Young, John Edwards' former longtime aide, will speak exclusively to ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff regarding his upcoming memoir, "The Politician," an insider account of Edwards' pursuit of the presidency and the scandal that brought him down.

Young writes in the book that Edwards is the father of Hunter's child. Woodruff's interview will air on "20/20" Friday, Jan. 29. George Stephanopoulos will interview Young in his first live appearance airing on "Good Morning America" Tuesday, Feb. 2.

Jan. 21, 2010: Edwards admits that he is the father of Hunter's daughter.
 
"It was wrong for me ever to deny she was my daughter, and, hopefully, one day, when she understands, she will forgive me," his statement said.
 
Jun. 3, 2011: Edwards is indicted in connection with the massive amounts he spent trying to outrun the story, and keep his pregnant mistress in hiding. The case of USA v. Johnny Reid Edwards contains six counts, including conspiracy, four counts of illegal campaign contributions and one count of false statements.

The indictment is the culmination of a federal investigation that lasted more than two years and scoured through virtually every corner of Edwards' political career.


John Edwards Scandal Timeline: 2012

Apr 12, 2012:  More than three years after the federal government launched an investigation into the financing of the cover-up of Edwards' affair; jury selection is finally set to begin.

Apr 16, 2012:  Jury selection continues in John Edwards case

Apr 19, 2012:  Jury selection for Edward's case enters final phase. The judge overseeing overseeing the criminal trial has canceled a hearing on whether to quash a subpoena issued to a former speech writer for the two-time presidential candidate.

Apr 23, 2012: Opening arguments start Monday afternoon in Edwards trial.  Prosecutors called the former aide of John Edwards to the witness stand.

Apr 27, 2012: Andrew Young testified for a fifth day in Edwards' trial. He tells the court he felt in danger with Edwards. Young talked about his close relationship with Edwards, including their visit with a wealthy donor.

May 25, 2012: The four alternate jurors in the case are now wearing same-color shirts each day. Legal experts said they hope it's more of a joke than an attempt to send a signal to the 12 jurors in the box.

"A week into their deliberations and they're just letting off a little steam," said legal analyst Kieran Shanahan.  Among the spectators and media, the four alternate jurors have become known as the "Giggle Gang."

May 30, 2012: As the jury ended its eighth day of talks without a verdict Wednesday, the judge released four alternate jurors who garnered attention for their matching shirts. They have not participated in the deliberations.

May 31, 2012: On the 9th day of deliberations, the jury asked to work through their lunch break for the first time. The jurors then announced they had reached a verdict on one of six counts. The judge told the jurors to keep deliberating.

WSOC