Former Senator and presidential candidate John Edwards, whose political career was derailed by a sex scandal, is slowly returning to private business, as he has booked a speaking engagement, reactivated his law license, and is rumored to be opening a law firm in Raleigh, North Carolina.
On May 17, Edwards reactivated his license to practice law in North Carolina with the state’s bar. He has also scheduled a speaking engagement at a private retreat in Orlando, Florida, for later this week, at which he will speak on the subject of “Historic Trials of the Century” and answer audience questions. This is the first public appearance for Edwards since he dropped out of the public eye in May of last year, after being acquitted on charges of campaign finance fraud related to his affair with a former staffer.
In 2004, Edwards campaigned for president before accepting the Vice-Presidential role on John Kerry’s campaign. He then made a second campaign for president in 2008. It was during his second campaign when he began a relationship with his mistress Rielle Hunter, who worked as a videographer. Hunter then gave birth to a daughter, which was ultimately revealed to be fathered by Edwards. Since admitting to the relationship in 2008, Edwards separated from his wife Elizabeth, who had been struggling with cancer for several years. Edwards was then charged with spending $1 million in illegal campaign contributions to keep his mistress secret during the 2008 campaign. In 2010, Edwards and his wife separated, and she died from cancer eleven months later.
Since his acquittal, Edwards has kept an extremely low profile, but the reactivation of his law license earlier in May and news of his speaking engagement may signal a return to public prominence.
CNN reports that, according to an unidentified source, Edwards is looking to open a new law firm this September in Raleigh. The source says that the firm will focus on plaintiff work. Prior to his political career, Edwards was a well-known attorney specializing in representing plaintiffs in medical malpractice, personal injury, and product liability lawsuits. The New York Observer reported in 2011 that, prior to Edwards’ trial, he was searching for office space in Manhattan and speaking with lawyers about starting a public-interest firm.