http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edwards_extramarital_affair#Payments_to_Hunter_and_Young

Wow.

In short: he was having an affair while his wife had cancer. Got the girlfriend pregnant and persauded an aide to claim paternity. Persuaded gf to move in with the aide and aide's, until Edwards' wife died of cancer. She's still alive.

At one point, his wife answered the phone and discovered the affair. He took the phone and pretended to break up with his girlfriend, but phoned her straight after to say he didn't mean it.

He also apparently completely ignores the aide now, even though he lives on the same street.

Almost as bad as Cecil Parkinson:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1380529/The-only-promise-Cecil-Parkinson-ever-kept-never-to-see-his-daughter.html