When philandering politicians fail to keep their pants zipped, public attention tends to zero in on the salacious details: the stoic wife, the smoldering e-mails, the humiliating apologies.

But in a string of recent political sex scandals, it's campaign finance, lobbying and ethics abuses that may ultimately prove the most damaging.

Extramarital affairs by onetime presidential hopeful John Edwards (picture above from Creative Commons), Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., and South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford have raised questions that go far beyond morality and character. In all three cases, irregular expenditures to facilitate or cover up the affairs have led to investigations that could end in serious criminal charges.

A federal grand jury in Raleigh is reportedly investigating whether Edwards, who sought the Democratic presidential nomination without success last year, violated election laws by encouraging supporters to steer large payments to his mistress and onetime campaign videographer, Rielle Hunter.

This latest crop of bad boys, by allegedly misspending public or campaign funds, has strayed beyond moral hazard into criminal danger zones.

Prosecutors are examining whether payments that two wealthy Edwards donors made to Hunter should be considered in-kind campaign contributions, according to the New York Times.

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