Why is the disgraced politician smiling in his mug shot? There’s something very, very wrong with this picture.

While most people would be UPSET if most of the country believed they were not only a cheating scoundrel, but a politically corrupt cheating scoundrel, it seems John Edwards couldn’t be happier.

A true politician, John knows that when there’s a camera, you better smile. This mug shot was just released after John was indicted by the federal grand jury on six counts, including conspiracy, issuing false statements and violating campaign contribution laws.

It all began when the former Senator had an extra-marital affair with Rielle Hunter, who became pregnant with his child. It not only disgraced his well-loved wife, Elizabeth Edwards, who died of cancer in Dec. 2010, but it drove his career into the ground.

John is accused of using nearly $1 million dollars of campaign contributions to keep Rielle hidden from the public. He allegedly paid for her living expenses, medical expenses, chartered airfare, luxury hotels, and rental of a house in Santa Barbara, CA.

John has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Outside the courthouse, he made a statement: “There’s no question that I’ve done wrong. And I take full responsibility for having done wrong. And I will regret for the rest of my life the pain and the harm that I’ve caused to others. But I did not break the law, and I never, ever thought I was breaking the law.”

Each crime could mean $250,000 and up to five years in jail — he SO deserves it!

–Brooke Peoples