Former U.S. Senator John Edwards has been found not guilty on one count of taking illegal campaign contributions. A mistrial has been declared on five other counts.
Edwards was charged with one count of conspiracy, four counts of illegal campaign contributions, and one count of making false statements — all felony counts.
His trial in Greensboro began in April at the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. Jury deliberations began May 18.
Edwards is a 1977 graduate of the UNC School of Law. He served as a North Carolina representative to the U.S. Senate from 1999-2004.
In 2005, Edwards was appointed to lead the newly created Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the UNC School of Law, where he served as director for two years as a fixed-term faculty member. He was designated as a University Professor and held an Alumni Distinguished Professorship.
The Edwards family has lived in Chapel Hill since 2005.
