Former US presidential candidate John Edwards has been found not guilty on a charge of illegally using campaign donations to keep his pregnant mistress a secret.
After deliberating for almost nine days, the jury in Greensboro, North Carolina failed to reach a verdict on five other charges, the BBC reports.
Judge Catherine Eagles has declared a mistrial.
It is not clear if prosecutors will retry the former North Carolina senator.
Two years ago, Mr Edwards admitted fathering a child with videographer Rielle Hunter in 2007.
An Edwards aide, Andrew Young, claimed paternity of the child to help his boss, but testified as a leading witness against Mr Edwards in a deal to shield himself from prosecution.
Mr Edwards, 58, denied the charges. If convicted of all the charges, he could have faced up to 30 years in prison and $US1.5 million in fines.