FEC says John Edwards should repay $2M in federal funds

WASHINGTON — The Federal Election Commission said Thursday that former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards' 2008 presidential campaign should repay the U.S. Treasury more than $2 million.

The commission voted 6-0 to order the repayment after conducting an audit of the campaign.

A telephone call by AP to Edwards' attorneys seeking comment was not immediately returned. Edwards' attorneys have said the Democrat's campaign doesn't owe anything.

Federal auditors said the campaign understated its cash on hand and overstated its expenses, including money spent to wind down the campaign. Auditors also found that the campaign failed to itemize more than $4 million in loan repayments.

Such audits are required by law for federal campaigns that accept public financing, several of the commissioners noted.

"It is not at all unusual for a campaign to have a discrepancy," said Ellen Weintraub, a commissioner. "It's just a math problem and that's how the math worked out."