But Edwards has said little about the allegations since the Enquirer reported last week that Edwards had visited Hunter and the child at a Beverly Hills hotel and then was confronted by its reporters as he was leaving in the middle of the night. The newspaper claimed that Edwards ran and hid in a restroom to elude its reporters.
Edwards withdrew from the presidential race in January, but remained a major figure in the presidential contest throughout the primary contest as analysts tried to guess which candidate, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, he would endorse. He unveiled his support for Obama May 14 at a major rally in Michigan that was televised nationally.
Edwards, a former U.S. senator from North Carolina, was expected to play a major supporting role as Obama tries to win North Carolina and become the first Democrat to have done so since 1976.
The Enquirer allegations, if unresolved, are likely to hurt Edwards' ability to participate in the presidential campaign. They've been the subject of heated commentary on the Internet and have become fodder for jokes by late-night hosts Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien, raising questions about his prospects for a spot in an Obama administration.
At a July 23 speech in Houston, Edwards responded to a reporter's question about the Enquirer story by referring to it as "tabloid trash."
Afterward, he avoided waiting reporters, exiting through a side area used by the kitchen staff at Washington's historic Hotel Monaco.
Edwards emerged near the rear of the hotel with two men. When approached by a reporter, Edwards said, "Can't do it now, I'm sorry" and quickly walked past.
Asked about the Beverly Hilton, Edwards said "sorry" and got into a waiting car with the other men. Asked twice more to address the Enquirer story, Edwards was silent until the car doors closed.
McClatchy obtained the birth certificate through a routine public records request to the Santa Barbara County Recorder's Office, which provided an "informational copy" for a fee of $17. A certified copy, which can be used to establish identity for legal transactions, is available only to family members and government agencies.
Asked Thursday why no father was listed on the birth certificate, Hunter's attorney, Robert Gordon of New York, said, "A lot of women do that."
The certificate shows that the girl was born at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, Calif., to Rielle Jaya James Druck, also known as Rielle Hunter. Hunter, 44, was a videographer on Edwards' presidential campaign last year.
Young was a fund-raiser for Edwards' campaign. Federal Election Commission records show he was earning about $3,200 every two weeks before he left the campaign last fall. In 2004, Edwards included Young and his wife in a list of people whose contributions he acknowledged in his book "Four Trials."
A December statement attributed to Young’s Washington attorney, Pamela J. Marple, said, "As confirmed by Ms. Hunter, Andrew Young is the father of her unborn child. Senator Edwards knew nothing about the relationship between these former co-workers, which began when they worked together in 2006. As a private citizen who no longer works for the campaign, Mr. Young asks that the media respect his privacy while he works to make amends with his family."
Marple didn't return phone calls seeking comment Thursday, and Young could not be located for comment.