FEC wants Edwards to pay back federal matching funds

Former U.S. Senator and one-time presidential candidate John Edwards apparently owes more than $2 million dollars for funds received during his 2008 presidential campaign, CBS News reports. A federal audit implied that Edwards must pay back $2.1 million of the nearly $13 million in matching funds he received for his campaign, as it was determined he was not eligible for the cash. The Christian Science Monitor notes that approximately $140,000 in additional monies is due to 128 stale-dated checks that were refunded to individual contributors. Additionally, the audit found that Edwards had approximately $11 million in outstanding obligations following his abandonment of the 2008 campaign. Edwards also used nearly $1 million as hush money to keep a secret affair quiet. However, Forbes notes that it's unlikely Edwards will end up providing repayment. According to a new Yale study, agencies have little incentive to go after white-collar fines because they don't actually keep the money, and courts scatter debt collection responsibilities across 94 U.S. Attorneys' offices.