August
8
Edwards got what he paid for
[Posted by David S. Cohen]
The Huffington Post is crowing that they were first to report the John Edwards-Reille Hunter connection. Read Sam Stein's original story here. Part of the scandal, if a small part, is the accusation that Edwards' PAC paid Hunter $100,000 for web videos that were later scrubbed from Edwards' site -- with the implication that the project was just a way to funnel money to Edwards' mistress.
Now, how many of you are thinking "Only $100,000?"
Anyway, I noted this in Stein's article:
"Within political circles, the videos were regarded as innovative, having successfully painted Edwards in a sympathetic, down-to-earth light. .... The webisodes were not, in any regard, a secret. Edwards' "behind the scenes" portrait had earned rave reviews in the blogosphere and even a small feature in Newsweek."
To me, $100,000 sounds expensive for web videos, but it's been more than seven years since I last budgeted out out a documentary and I don't know how long the series was, how much travel was involved or any other production details. Regardless, she apparently delivered the films she was paid for and, if we are to believe Stein, the videos were well-received. This isn't Elizabeth Ray, the "secretary" to Congressman Wayne Hays who later admitted "I can't type, I can't file, I can't even answer the phone."
I'm guessing some studio accountants are silently wishing everybody in town who got a job through, um, personal connections would do so well.
Subscribe to this blog's feed
Sam Cullman shot the videos and traveled extensively with both Edwards and Hunter. Sam Cullman helped shoot the Academy Award nominated documentary Street Fight.
Posted by: Hunter S Thompson | August 09, 2008 at 10:14 AM