Will There Be a John Edwards Verdict Monday?

Could be.

And if Edwards loses, the judge’s instructions may be grounds for an appeal. The snippet in the linked news report seems to focus on the specific intent of the donors, which may distract from the question of Edwards‘ intent:

The jurors will have to decide what prosecutors meant when they accused Edwards of secretly obtaining money “to influence the election.”

“The government does not have to prove that the sole or only purpose of the money was to influence the election,” Eagles’ instructions state. “People rarely act with a single purpose in mind. On the other hand, if the donor would have made the gift or payment notwithstanding the election, it does not become a contribution merely because the gift or payment might have some impact on the election. Nor does it become a contribution just because the donor knew it might have some influence on the election and found that acceptable, if the donor’s real purpose was personal or otherwise unrelated to the election.”

The government, according to Eagles’ instructions, did not have to prove that Mellon or Baron had specific knowledge about how the money would be spent or that it was spent on the campaign.

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