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The wife of John Edwards’ former aide Andrew Young testified Monday that Edwards knew of the checks coming from his wealthy supporters and gave assurances that it would not violate campaign funding laws for her to deposit the money in the personal account she shared with her husband.

Cheri Young, testifying at the start of the second week of the Edwards trial, said she listened in on a phone call between the 2008 Democratic presidential candidate and her husband after she raised questions about funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars through the Youngs’ private bank account. More from Day 6 testimony here.

George Holding's campaign for 13th congressional district has a new TV ad, picking up on strategist Carter Wrenn's comments last week that Paul Coble's campaign was "coming unglued."

Why else would Coble criticize Holding for prosecuting former Sen. John Edwards and investigating former Gov. Mike Easley, the ad asks? "Coble's campaign is falling apart, and it's not pretty," the ad says.

What rattled the Holding campaign were remarks Coble made to an online magazine that covers the U.S. Department of Justice, saying the Edwards prosecution was politically motivated and that there was practically no payoff in the Easley case. Wastes of money and done to advance Holding's political career, Coble suggested.

The federal courtroom where John Edwards is on trial is not big enough for all the spectators. But those who are shut out can still get an insider’s view of exhibits being discussed. In an unusual move, Judge Catherine Eagles has asked the clerks to post exhibits already published to the jury on a public website. Read more here.

Other political headlines:

--The Democratic Party’s national chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, added her voice to the president’s by speaking out against North Carolina’s proposed marriage amendment. Prominent Democrats also want to put the legalization of same-sex marriage in the party platform.

--Christensen: When President Obama visited Chapel Hill last week, the theme running through national media stories was how difficult it is going to be for the president to win North Carolina again. Full column here.

The State Board of Elections on Friday wrapped up an investigation into Pat McCrory’s 2008 gubernatorial campaign by referring five campaign donors for possible prosecution, including four members of a Charlotte family.

Elections official Kim Strach told the board that Kenneth Gill, president of CPI Security, may have reimbursed three members of his family and an employee for donations to McCrory’s campaign. Giving in the name of another, or so-called “straw donors,” is illegal under North Carolina law. The case was referred to Mecklenburg District Attorney Andrew Murray. Read more here.

With the primary days away, many other political stories are in the headlines:

--The first week of early voting set a record -- surpassing even the heated 2008 Democratic primary election. Read more about the numbers here.

--Five GOP candidates are vying for the state superintendent nomination. Here's a primer on the race.

--The Republican race for lieutenant governor is all about big ideas outside the bounds of the office's muted power -- and a desire for a partisan takeover of the state's top two posts.

Wake County Commissioner Paul Coble is quoted in an online publication saying there is "no question" the prosecution of John Edwards is political.

Coble's chief opponent for the 13th congressional district Republican nomination, George Holding, was the U.S. Attorney in Raleigh, remaining in office past his expiration date to oversee the Edwards prosecution.

Coble also referred to Holding's investigation of another prominent Democrat, former Gov. Mike Easley in another campaign finance probe. He said the Easley case was a waste of taxpayer money, noting prosecutors "didn't exactly put him away."

A defense lawyer described it simply as a “private video.”

But on the fifth day of testimony Friday, about an hour and a half into the continued cross examination of Andrew Young, the prosecutor’s lead witness in their criminal case against John Edwards, the purported sex tape between Edwards and Rielle Hunter was mentioned. Read the early trial story from Day 5 here.

In a segment called "Tarred Heels," The Daily Show's Jon Stewart ridiculed North Carolina Democrats on Thursday for their various sex scandals.

He starts with John Edwards and moves to the sexual harassment controversy at the state Democratic Party. ("On the bright side, no love child.") His mashup of David Parker's notorious rambling press conference is clever as he notes Jay Parmley's "Seinfeld defense." (He's a close talker.) The kicker: "Congratulations North Carolina, you have become the Democrat's South Carolina." Ouch.

Gov. Bev Perdue is hosting a policy meeting assembled by the nation's Democratic governors that's also expected to raise big money for their party's candidates this November.

The Democratic Governors Association starts a two-day regional policy conference on education, technology and health care on Thursday in Charlotte, AP reports. The two-day event also is expected to bring in $2 million for the group. The association can receive unlimited contributions from corporations and other groups.

In other political headlines:

--It’s a busy election year with lots of primary races, and in some places, lots of candidates. Some voters have so many choices that their ballots have races on both front and back.

In testimony that some times came across as obfuscating and short on details, Andrew Young often said he had difficulty recalling the sequence of events, phone calls and meetings that were written about with much description in his 2011 book "The Politician."

Here's a midday report from Day 4 of the John Edwards trial

Amendment opponents and supporters agree that health insurance and other benefits offered by local governments – for gay and unmarried heterosexual couples – would be disallowed if the amendment passes. 

Such domestic partner benefits are offered by nine local governments across the state. The change would affect about 70 households. But the impact on corporate employees is more unclear and could affect far more people. Read more here. 

--In its hard climb to raise $36.6 million for the Democratic National Convention, Charlotte’s host committee is reaching out to one of the party’s perennial allies: labor unions. They represent a potentially lucrative fountain of money. While the convention’s new self-imposed fundraising rules prohibit cash donations from corporations, lobbyists and PACs, they put no limits on money from union treasuries.

--John Edwards' attorneys battered Andrew Young in cross-examination. Trial Day 3 story here.