RALEIGH, N.C. – Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards says he will not speak at any public engagements until after this fall's presidential election.
The decicion extends an exile for the former North Carolina senator that began last month after he admitted to an extramarital affair.
In a statement released by his speaking agency, Edwards said nothing is more important that electing Democratic nominee Barack Obama to the White House. Edwards said he will avoid public engagements so as not to create a distraction.
Edwards had been scheduled to speak next week at Hofstra University in New York. That speech was canceled earlier Thursday.
Edwards acknowledged last month that he had an affair with Rielle Hunter, a rookie filmmaker who was hired to produce videos of him in 2006.
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