Andrew Young

Andrew Aldridge Young (born March 23, 1966) was a key staff member in the John Edwards 2008 presidential campaign. Young came to prominence via a scandal in which he claimed paternity of Rielle Hunter's child born on February 27, 2008. John Edwards had admitted a past affair with Hunter, but denied paternity of the baby even though Edwards was in fact the father.^[1] Young has since renounced that statement. In his book The Politician: An Insider's Account of John Edwards's Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down, he claims that Edwards knew all along that he was the child's father, but pleaded with him to accept responsibility.

Early life

Young is the son of the Robert T. Young (1935–2009), a Methodist minister who held positions at churches in Asheville, Boone, Statesville and at Duke Chapel, all in North Carolina; his uncle is the author Perry Deane Young.^[2]

Young is a 1984 graduate of C.E. Jordan High School in Durham, North Carolina, where he was a captain of the football team.

Family life

Young married Cheri Young ^[3] in 1999 and they have young children. The Young family lived in the same housing development in Chatham County, North Carolina, as Hunter when the story broke in late 2007. The development is known as "Governor's Club".^[4] The Youngs and Hunter moved to California shortly thereafter, where Hunter's child was born. Young now resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Career

Young has worked for the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers. He registered as a lobbyist in 1999.^[5] He is a graduate of the Wake Forest University School of Law, though he is not a licensed lawyer. Young is owner of Winner's Deli in Asheville, NC.

Paternity scandal

Through his attorney, Pamela J. Marple, Andrew Young publicly claimed fatherhood of Rielle Hunter's daughter Quinn in December 2007.^[6] Young later denied this, claiming Edwards was indeed the father and his original claim of paternity was part of a cover-up.^[7]

On January 21, 2010, John Edwards admitted that he was Quinn's father.

As of April, 2012, Andrew Young is a major witness for the prosecution in the trial of John Edwards on charges of campaign finance fraud.^[8]

Publications

• The Politician: An Insider's Account of John Edwards's Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down, Thomas Dunne Books, 2010

References

v t e John Edwards Family Elizabeth Edwards (1949–2010; wife) · Cate Edwards (elder daughter) Other associates Rielle Hunter (campaign videographer and ex-mistress)  · Andrew Young (ex-aide) Political elections United States Senate election in North Carolina, 1998 · John Edwards presidential campaign, 2004 · United States presidential election, 2004 · John Edwards presidential campaign, 2008 Political themes and issues Political positions · Extramarital affair  · "Two Americas" Books authored Four Trials