Legal Expert Says Important Issues At Stake In Edwards Trial

Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards goes on trial for campaign finance violations Monday.

The case against him has ramifications far beyond the saga of his adulterous affair with filmmaker Rielle Hunter during the 2008 White House campaign.

Edwards is facing six criminal charges related to nearly $1million dollars in secret payments from two wealth supporters.

Edwards' lawyers say the payments were gifts from friends intended to keep Elizabeth Edwards, the candidate's wife, from finding out about her husband's mistress and baby he fathered with Hunter.

Lawyers from the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section argue that John Edwards masterminded the financial arrangement with campaign donations that were unreported and excessive.

Jonathan Turley, George Washington University law professor, blogs "While I am no fan of Edwards, the case seems driven more by political than legal considerations."