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John Edwards Trial: "When Harry Met Sally" Day

The Government's next witness after Cheri Young is expected to be former Edwards aide Josh Brumburger. Brumburger was with Edwards at the Regency when Rielle Hunter came over to introduce herself. Brumberger was wary of Rielle and expressed his concerns to Edwards. Ultimately, Edwards fired Brumberger.

You can read the supposed backstory in this lengthy excerpt from Game Change by Josh Heilemann and Mark Helperin.

From the Government's Exhibit list, it appears the Government will introduce e-mails between Brumberger and Edwards staff members and two e-mails between Brumberger and Rielle Hunter regarding Russell Simmons. Also, Brumberger sent an email to someone on May 10, 2006 about "Bunny said no on plane." [More...]

According to the Game Plan excerpt, he had conversations with Edwards about a donor paying for Rielle's campaign web videos.

For months, [campaign manager Nick Baldick] used the project’s enormous price tag as a reason to resist signing her contract. But eventually, a big check came in from one of Edwards’s donors, and that gave John his trump card. “Now Nick can’t tell me no,” he said to Brumberger triumphantly.

This ABC News article from January, 2011, describes the source of payments to Hunter, Baldick's connection and what Edwards' then lawyer, James Cooney said about them.

Federal records show the One America Committee paid Midline Groove more than $100,000 for producing Internet videos. Cooney said the nonprofit paid the firm a similar amount. Edwards did not sign the agreements, but they were reviewed by appropriate personnel at both organizations, Cooney said.

Rielle took issue with Brumberger's description of her when she came over to his and Edwards' table at the Regency, as published in Game Plan:

She looked like a hybrid of Stevie Nicks and Lucinda Williams, in an outfit more suitable for a Grateful Dead concert than an evening at the Regency.

Rielle responded:

In reality, I was wearing a black TSE cashmere sweater, a Kenneth Cole suede jacket, and jeans. But in his mind, I’m dressed to go to a Grateful Dead concert. Total projection!”