Edwards 'lied and lied and lied and lied' John Edwards, pictured April 24, 2012, outside the federal courthouse in Greensboro, N.C. UPI/Nell Redmond GREENSBORO, N.C., May 14 (UPI) -- Ex-U.S. Sen. John Edwards lied about his affair and coverup, but did so to spare his wife, says his lawyer, who was to begin calling witnesses Monday. "Yes, Mr. Edwards is making 18,267 false and exculpatory statements," defense attorney Abbe Lowell said during a hearing last week before U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles in Greensboro, N.C. "No one is going to deny that Mr. Edwards lied and lied and lied and lied," Lowell said. But the two-time presidential candidate lied for the right reasons, Lowell said and was expected to argue when he presented his case, The Washington Post reported. Edwards lied primarily to spare his wife, Elizabeth Edwards, from more heartache while she battled metastatic breast cancer that eventually claimed her life, the Post said Lowell's narrative suggested. Prosecutors allege Edwards lied because his indiscretions would have ruined his political career. The defense has also argued prosecutors are trying to criminalize a matter best left to Edwards' family and to God, Politico reported. "John Edwards is a man who has committed many sins, but no crimes," defense attorney Allison Van Laningham said in her opening statement. Edwards, 58, is charged with six felony counts, four involving the alleged acceptance of $933,000 in illegal campaign contributions during his failed 2008 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. He also faces charges of conspiracy and making false statements. The government contends Edwards knowingly used the unreported payments from two wealthy campaign donors to pay the expenses of his mistress, Rielle Hunter, and to hide their extramarital affair and the daughter they conceived from voters. Hunter once made videos for Edwards' campaign. The donors had already given the maximum allowed by law. Edwards had a public campaign image of a devoted family man. "The charges against John Edwards in this case flow from his knowing and willful violation of the federal campaign finance laws during his campaign for the Democratic Party's nomination for president," prosecutors alleged in court filings. Edwards' defense team contends the money from benefactors Rachel "Bunny" Mellon, a 101-year-old Virginia banking heiress, and the late Fred Baron, a Texas lawyer, was not political contributions but personal gifts intended only to keep Elizabeth Edwards from finding out about the continuation of the affair, which he had told her was over, and to hide that a child was involved. Elizabeth Edwards died Dec. 7, 2010. She separated from John Edwards in January 2010.