FEC to John Edwards: You Owe $2.1M

Former candidate has to pay Treasury for matching funds
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 17, 2012 1:48 PM CDT
FEC to John Edwards: You Owe $2.1M
In this July 14, 2011 file photo, former presidential candidate John Edwards leaves federal court following an appearance in Greensboro, NC.   (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)

John Edwards owes the US Treasury a couple million dollars, and he has just 30 days to pay it. The Federal Election Commission announced yesterday that Edwards received $2.1 million too much in matching funds from the Treasury during his 2008 Democratic nomination campaign, MSNBC reports. The commission dismissed arguments from Edwards' lawyers, who claimed the commission was wrong in saying he had received more money than he should have, the AP reports. His matching funds total for 2008: $12.8 million.

But while Team Edwards "disagrees with the commission's determination, it will not pursue this matter further," said an Edwards lawyer. One interesting tidbit: Edwards' campaign is still spending money despite having ended more than four years ago. Hotel rooms, air fares, and other bills cost the campaign $836,712 last year. Note that this ruling is separate from his pending criminal case, in which Edwards has pleaded not guilty to breaking campaign finance laws while hiding his affair with Rielle Hunter. (At least their sex tape is going to be destroyed.)

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