John Edwards wants criminal case against him dismissed

John Edwards is asking a federal court judge to dismiss charges that he illegally used political donations to cover up an affair with a former aide to his 2008 presidential campaign.

Attorneys for the former Democratic presidential hopeful filed paperwork Tuesday insisting the government's case against Edwards is constitutionally vague and was driven by politics rather than the law.

Edwards was indicted on six felony criminal charges in June, including conspiracy, four counts of illegal campaign contributions and one charge of making a false statement.

As The Ticket previously reported, the case centers on roughly $925,000 Edwards received from two political benefactors that was used to conceal his affair with Rielle Hunter, a former campaign videographer who later gave birth to his child.

Prosecutors have said the cash should be considered as political donations to Edwards' 2008 campaign because they came at the height of his second bid for the presidency. But Edwards has repeatedly argued the money was a personal gift aimed at hiding his indiscretion from his wife and family--an argument his attorneys reiterated on Tuesday.

"While much can be said in questioning how Mr. Edwards conducted himself throughout this saga, the allegations in the indictment that he violated campaign finance laws should not be among them," his attorneys said in papers filed Tuesday, per the Raleigh News Observer. "The distinction between a wrong and a crime is at the heart of this case."

The argument comes just weeks before jury selection is set to begin in the Edwards case. Two weeks ago, Edwards replaced part of his legal team, including former White House Counsel Greg Craig, because he reportedly couldn't afford to pay them.