Washington ( CNN ) -- Federal prosecutors dropped the remaining charges against former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards on Wednesday , less than two weeks after his corruption trial ended in an acquittal and mistrial . The Justice Department had accused Edwards of using nearly $ 1 million in illegal campaign contributions to keep his pregnant mistress under wraps as he mounted a second presidential bid in 2008 . But after more than 50 hours of deliberation , a North Carolina jury acquitted him on one of the six counts against him and deadlocked on the other five . Lanny Breuer , the head of the Justice Department 's criminal division , said prosecutors respect the judgment of the jury and would not bring the case to trial again . `` We knew that this case -- like all campaign finance cases -- would be challenging , '' Breuer said in a written statement on the decision . `` But it is our duty to bring hard cases when we believe that the facts and the law support charging a candidate for high office with a crime . '' Overheard on CNN.com : 'Being a slimy dirtbag does n't equal being a criminal ' Edwards ' lawyers said in a statement , `` We are confident that the outcome of any new trial would have been the same . '' `` While John has repeatedly admitted to his sins , he has also consistently asserted , as we demonstrated at the trial , that he did not violate any campaign law nor even imagined that any campaign laws could apply , '' they said . Edwards , 61 , won a U.S. Senate seat from North Carolina in 1998 . He ran for president in 2004 , when he ended up as the Democrats ' nominee for vice president , and again in 2008 , when he dropped out of the reace after a poor showing in the early primaries . Jurors : Evidence elusive in Edwards case . In August 2008 , he admitted to an affair with onetime campaign videographer Rielle Hunter , but denied paternity of the daughter she had given birth to six months earlier . He eventually acknowledged paternity , and after the May 31 mistrial , he talked about `` my precious Quinn , who I love more than any of you can ever imagine . '' Prosecutors argued that Edwards took $ 925,000 from two high-powered donors to pay for Hunter 's living and medical expenses , travel and other costs to keep her out of sight while he sought the presidency -- contributions that amounted to illegal , undisclosed campaign donations . Former Edwards aide Andrew Young testified that he allowed Hunter to move in with him and his wife at Edwards ' request after newspapers began looking into a possible affair within the Edwards campaign . Edwards ' lawyers argued he was guilty of being a bad husband to his wife , Elizabeth , who died of cancer in 2010 , but had committed no crime . They also told jurors that Young , the government 's star witness , used the contributions for his own gain . Edwards charges : The rundown . `` As we stated in our motions and arguments , '' his lawyers said Wednesday . `` It should be addressed , if at all , by the Federal Election Commission , which our evidence showed seems to have agreed with our views on the law . '' CNN 's Bill Mears and Terry Frieden contributed to this report .
NEW : Edwards `` has repeatedly admitted to his sins '' but committed no crime , lawyers say . Justice Department says it wo n't re-try John Edwards . The ex-Democratic presidential candidate was accused of campaign finance violations . He is scheduled for a new trial in September.