Paper: John Edwards Caught with Woman Alleged to Be His Mistress and Their "Love Child" in Beverly Hills Hotel

Former Senator on Barack Obama's Running Mate Short List

The National Enquirer, the gossip sheet that played a major role in breaking the Monica Lewinsky scandal, claims it caught former North Carolina Senator John Edwards visiting a woman the tabloid claims is his mistress. Ballyhooing the scoop with the title "SEN. JOHN EDWARDS CAUGHT WITH MISTRESS AND LOVE CHILD!," the Enquirer claims that Edwards was visiting Rielle Hunter and her illegitimate trial at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on Monday, July 21, 2008. The Enquirer claims that Edwards entered the hotel at 9:45 PM and didn't exit the hotel until 2:40 A.M in the morning.

The National Enquirer had reported about the relationship between Edwards and Hunter last year, while she was pregnant. Those allegations were made in the December 31, 2007, print edition of the Enquirer. The 2004 Democratic Party's Vice Presidential nominee, John Edwards was a candidate for the 2008 Presidential nomination. According to TIME Magazine, he is on Barack Obama's shortlist to be his running mate. Edwards was in Los Angeles to attend an event addressing the homeless with L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

That same day that he met his alleged mistress, Monday, Edwards told reporters he would "seriously" consider another shot at the Vice Presidency if Barack Obama asked him to be his running mate.

"Anything that I'm asked to do by Senator Obama, either as a presidential candidate or as the next president of the Untied States, I would take seriously and seriously consider," said Edwards. According to the National Enquirer, John Edwards and Rielle Hunter -- a filmmaker who had worked with Edwards on a series of campaign videos --arranged their secret rendezvous. Edwards was going to see Hunter and their baby, which the Enquirer describes as "the love child who he refuses to publicly acknowledge as his own."

Both John Edwards and Rielle Hunter denied the allegations when the National Enquirerbroke the story back in December 2007 that Hunter was pregnant with Edwards' child. However, the Enquirer claims that a friend of Edwards came forward and confirmed the fact that Hunter was Edwards' mistress, and her child was his.