John Edwards confesses to 'sins'

1 Jun 2012, 3:25 pm   -   Source: AAP
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US politician John Edwards has reached out to the daughter he wanted to hide as he admits to doing an "awful lot that was wrong".

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Former US presidential candidate John Edwards has declared himself a sinner and says he is solely responsible for the lies that ended his political career.

Edwards was on Thursday found not guilty of one count of using campaign donations to hide his pregnant mistress as he sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. A mistrial was declared on the five remaining counts after the jury could not reach a decision.

The disgraced politician saw his career collapse after he fathered a child with videographer Rielle Hunter in 2007 and then lied about their affair to his cancer-stricken wife, Elizabeth, and the public.

The 58-year-old former North Carolina senator had faced up to 30 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines if convicted of intentionally using nearly $1 million from two wealthy donors to hide his affair for political reasons.

Experts said it was highly unlikely there would be a retrial, given the not guilty verdict and the complexities of campaign finance law that always made the prosecution risky.

Outside court in Greensboro, North Carolina, a relieved Edwards, said: "While I do not believe I did anything illegal or ever thought I was doing anything illegal, I did an awful, awful lot that was wrong and there is no one else responsible for my sins."

Choking up as he spoke, Edwards gave a very public acceptance of four-year-old Frances Quinn, the daughter whose paternity he once denied.

After thanking the rest of his family for their support, he said: "And then, finally, my precious Quinn who I love more than any of you could ever imagine, and I am so close to and so, so grateful for."

Several seconds passed before he continued. "I don't think God's through with me," he said.

"I really believe he thinks there's still some good things I can do."

The mistrial ruling capped a confusing and dramatic day in Greensboro as jurors struggled to convince Judge Catherine Eagles that they were unable to reach a verdict on most of the charges.

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