Beginning in May 2002, as many as ten Democrat hopefuls began organizing and raising money for the 2004 Democrat presidential nomination. The race eventually dwindled down to four serious candidates: Senator John Kerry, Senator John Edwards, Governor Howard Dean, and General Wesley Clark. But what was most surprising for political professionals was the unprecedented amount of money that John Edwards, a political newcomer, was able to attract. At some point after entering the primaries, the Edwards campaign embarked on an intensive campaign to raise money among the nation’s trial lawyers, and by mid-April 2004, Edwards’ FEC reports indicated that he had raised approximately $31 million. However, reports produced by investigative reporters for The Hill, a Capitol Hill tabloid, indicated that the Edwards fundraising apparatus required some close scrutiny.

Based on published reports, this writer, and others, filed formal complaints with the FEC beginning in late April 2004, alleging fundraising irregularities involving the Edwards for President Committee and a number of plaintiffs’ law firms. And although Edwards’ fundraising scheme involved dozens, if not scores of plaintiffs’ law firms, the FEC has made public the details of irregularities in just two such firms, to date. For example, attorney Tab Turner, of Turner & Associates, Little Rock, Arkansas, agreed to raise a total of $200,000 for the Edwards campaign. However, when two Little Rock fundraisers netted only $73,500, Turner took steps to make up at least part of the difference. FEC investigators found that Turner had “knowingly and willfully” contributed $12,000 to the Edwards campaign on behalf of his brother, his sister-in-law, and four Turner & Associates paralegals… all cited with Federal Election Campaign Act violations for allowing Turner to make $2,000 contributions on their behalf. After reimbursing Turner for the $12,000 that he contributed illegally, and after paying a civil fine of $9,500, a mere slap on the wrist, the Edwards campaign came away with not $200,000, but $52,000.

Turner, himself, after contributing $2,000 for the Edwards fundraisers, was fined $50,000 for illegally reimbursing his employees and for allowing them to work hundreds of hours on arrangements for the fundraisers while on company time. The $52,000 that the Edwards campaign realized from the Arkansas fundraisers resulted in civil fines and penalties totaling $59,500. Now, some fourteen months later, the Justice Department has announced indictments in yet another Edwards fundraising conspiracy. According to an August 24 Justice Department press release, Oakland County, Michigan, attorneys Geoffrey Fieger and Vernon Johnson have been indicted by a federal grand jury… for alleged crimes relating to fundraising for the 2004 (Edwards for President Committee), including violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act, making false statements, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice…Fieger will be remembered as the attorney for Dr. Jack Kevorkian, as a frequent TV commentator during the O.J. Simpson trial, and as a frequent “talking head” on Fox News, ABC’s 20/20, Larry King Live, PBS Frontline, Face the Nation, CNBC, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS 60 Minutes, Crossfire, and many others. According to the indictment, Fieger and Johnson conspired to make more than $125,000 in illegal contributions to the Edwards for President Committee.

The indictment alleges that, “unbeknownst to Senator Edwards’ campaign (wink, wink), the defendants caused more than 60 persons, known as ‘straw donors,’ to make contributions in the… amount of $2,000 per donor, contributions which were actually paid by the Fieger firm…” The indictment alleges that, on four separate occasions, Fieger and Johnson solicited different groups of straw donors, including friends, non-attorney employees, third party vendors, and even family members of friends, employees, and vendors, including three minor children.

Fieger is also charged with attempting to obstruct the grand jury by shifting responsibility for the illegal activity to a recently deceased officer of his firm, by communicating false information to potential grand jury witnesses, and by attempting to conceal an incriminating document. The indictment alleges that the Edwards campaign was unaware of Fieger and Johnson’s actions (wink, wink), and that Edwards and his campaign staff have “cooperated fully” with the investigation. Edwards has been campaigning full time for the presidency since he was defeated in his run for vice president in 2004. Is there any chance at all that, as a trial lawyer, he would not “roll over” on any fellow trial lawyer indicted in the massive fundraising scheme?

The 10-count indictment, in addition to the FECA violations, charges Fieger with conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and causing the Edwards Campaign to unwittingly make false statements (wink, wink). Taken together, the charges against Feiger carry combined penalties of up to sixty years in prison and fines totaling $2.75 million.

At the rate of one major indictment every three years, the FEC will barely have scratched the surface of the Edwards conspiracy when the statute of limitations runs out. Right now, all across America, scores of trial lawyers must be praying that they will be the last to fall on their swords in John Edwards’ narcissistic search for power and greatness… and a good $1,000 haircut.