A DNA test proves that John Edwards fathered the daughter of his former mistress, Rielle Hunter, according to a report by the National Enquirer. Edwards, the former senator and presidential candidate, has denied that he is the baby's father; his wife Elizabeth has said she doesn't know the girl's paternity.
The National Enquirer, which broke the original story about the extramarital affair between Edwards and Hunter, cited "multiple sources" in reporting that Edward took a secret DNA test to establish paternity of 18-month-old Frances.
The Enquirer quotes a close friend of Hunter's: "Rielle had no choice but to demand John take a DNA test. She was worried about getting long-term financial support for her daughter. So she hired an attorney, and John consented to undergo a secret swab test to establish paternity."
"There was no surprise," said the friend, according to the Enquirer. "The results of the DNA test proved John was Frances' daddy."
After receiving the DNA test results, the Enquirer reports that lawyers for Hunter and Edwards are negotiating child support payments for the girl.
Last week, Hunter was seen entering a courthouse in North Carolina and leaving nine hours later. She apparently testified before a federal grand jury, which is investigating whether Edwards broke campaign finance laws by allegedly paying off Hunter and aide Andrew Young, who claimed paternity of the child in 2007. Young reportedly testified last month to the same grand jury.
As I wrote that day, Hunter brought the baby with her to the courthouse. She appeared to me to be deliberately forcing her baby to turn her face toward the waiting TV cameras. At the time, I guessed that she was trying to publicly demonstrate her daughter's physical resemblance to Edwards for the media.
We can only feel sorry for little Frances.
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