PRESS RELEASE

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John Edwards:
The Man from $$Fortress$$

May 9, 2007 (EIRNS)—Sen. John Edwards, a so-called top-tier candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination, might be dubbed "The Man from Fortress."

Fortress Investment hedge fund was the biggest source of contributions as an employer to Edwards in lst Quarter 2007, according to the Federal Election Commission reports. Fortress bundled $155,000 in employee contributions to Edwards from January through March 31, 2007. Edwards was employed as a "senior advisor" to Fortress from October 2005 until December 2006—the month before he announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination.

Fortress, with $35.1 billion in assets, is one of the larger of the 9,000-plus hedge funds operating in the United States. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) has stated that the hedge funds are now furiously fighting all efforts by the U.S. Congress to force them to register, and to tax them.