FEC: John Edwards owes more than $2.1 million

RALEIGH (The Associated Press) - Federal election officials say John Edwards owes taxpayers more than $2.1 million in public matching funds improperly received after he dropped his 2008 run for the White House, yet disclosure reports show his campaign is still spending freely.

Edwards' hopes for the Democratic presidential nomination imploded in a sex scandal four years ago that left him facing criminal charges. But reports filed last week show his 2008 primary campaign spent $836,712 in 2011 on airfare, hotel rooms, cellphones and other expenses.

The campaign reported $2.1 million in cash remaining as of Dec. 31, a figure close to what the Federal Election Commission says the former North Carolina senator still owes the U.S. Treasury. Patricia A. Fiori, one of four attorneys working for Edwards in the FEC case, said she could not comment, referring questions to the campaign.