John Edwards on daughter, "my precious Quinn" (CBS/AP) John Edwards thanked his family for their support during his trial on federal charges that he has misused campaign contributions, and expressed his love for Frances Quinn Hunter, his daughter by his mistress, Rielle Hunter. Speaking publicly outside the federal courthouse Thursday after his acquittal, Edwards thanked his eldest daughter, Cate Edwards Upham, for her daily support, "no matter how awful and painful a lot of the evidence was for her" to hear. The 6-week-long trial recounted the most intimate details of Edwards' affair with Hunter, including reference to a sex tape of the two together that was later ordered destroyed, and the drama of Edwards' wife, Elizabeth, tearing off her shirt in front of her husband in a rage about a tabloid report of the affair. After nine days of deliberation, the jury found Edwards not guilty on one of six charges of campaign finance corruption. A mistrial was declared on the remaining five counts. Edwards not guilty on 1 count; mistrial declared on other 5 counts Edwards jurors: Evidence "just wasn't there" He said he also looked forward to spending time with his two other children with his late wife, Emma Claire and Jack. Edwards then choked up when he mentioned the daughter he had with Hunter: "My precious Quinn, who I love more than any of you can ever imagine, and I am so close to, and so, so grateful for, so grateful for Quinn. I'm grateful for all my children. Telling the audience that he did not think God was through with him and that "there's still some good things I can do," he said that he wanted to dedicate his life to "being the best dad I can be and to helping those kids who I think deserve help and whom I hope I can help." Edwards also thanked the jurors for their "incredibly hard work" and diligence. "While I do not believe I did anything illegal or ever thought I was doing anything illegal, I did an awful, awful lot that was wrong," Edwards said. And there is no one else responsible for my sins - none of the people who came to court and testified are responsible. Nobody working for the government is responsible. I am responsible. And if I want to find the person who should be held accountable for my sins, honestly I don't have to go any further than the mirror. Edwards and Hunter's relationship began in 2006, and soon after she joined his campaign. After word of the affair got back to Edwards' wife, Hunter left the campaign but continue to meet with Edwards on the road. Tabloid reporters began following her after she began showing signs of pregnancy. Within weeks, Edwards campaign aide Andrew Young had set up Hunter in a $2,700-a-month rental home not far from the Edwards estate in Chapel Hill, using money donated by contributors. Young also issued a statement claiming the baby - born in February 2008 - was his. Edwards eventually admitted to the Hunter affair in August 2008, seven months after suspending his presidential campaign. He did not announce that he was the father of Frances until January 2010, when she was nearly two years old. Elizabeth Edwards died in late 2010.