John Edwards Admits Paternity of Rielle Hunter's Child, Quinn

In a statement given to NBC News, former Democratic senator John Edwards admitted Thursday that he fathered a child with a campaign videographer during his 2008 presidential run. Edwards had previously denied paternity of Quinn Hunter, now 22 months old.

"I am Quinn's father," Edwards said in his statement. "I will do everything in my power to provide her with the love and support she deserves. I have been able to spend time with her during the past year and trust that future efforts to show her the love and affection she deserves can be done privately and in peace."

The admission comes just ahead of the release of a tell-all book by Andrew Young, the man who claimed paternity of Quinn Hunter to cover for Edwards during the presidential campaign. Young's book, "The Politician," is due out in early February.

Edwards had denied each detail of his affair with Rielle Hunter as it came out in the press, starting with the National Enquirer's first scoop in October 2007. Edwards dismissed the story as "tabloid trash," and would not admit to lying about it until nearly a year later. When he finally made his confession in August 2008, it was only partial: he still denied offering Hunter hush money, and even more strenuously denied paternity of her child. He also insisted that his transgression did not occur while his wife, Elizabeth, was being treated for breast cancer. Recently, he was rumored to be facing a paternity suit, and a federal investigation is examining the possible use of campaign funds to keep Hunter quiet about the affair.

Appearing on NBC's "Today," Edwards spokesman Harrison Hickman tried to spin the admission as the last step in Edwards' dutiful handling of the affair, saying that he has been accepting and caring for Quinn Hunter all along. "He has acknowledged it long before now," Hickman said. "The reason it has taken so long for it to become public is that there were a lot of people involved. There are a lot of adults involved, there are a number of families involved, and there are also a lot of kids involved."

The story of Edwards' affair has remained in the public's consciousness long after it ended his political career. A new book about the 2008 campaign, "Game Change," reported wrenching conflict between Edwards and his wife over the affair, and between the candidate and his staff. Three aides left the campaign in disgust, and in one confrontation, Elizabeth Edwards reportedly ripped open her shirt to show him her scars from breast cancer surgery.