Some people just have a talent for staying in the public eye. And not for their good works.

Reille Hunter, who has made headlines as the “other woman” in Senator John Edwards’ life, first came to public attention when her name was Lisa Druck and her father, James Druck was implicated in the now well-publicized equine insurance frauds whereby expensive show horses were killed in order to collect on insurance policies. In fact, he is supposed to have shown Tommy “the Sandman” Burns how to electrocute horses and bought him the equipment needed to perform the task. Furthermore, Lisa’s show hunter, Henry the Hawk, was one of the first victims; Druck needed money and wasn’t able to sell the horse for the full $150,000 for which he was insured.

There was a recent article in ESPN, Edwards’ “other woman” revives memories of a gruesome scandal, by Lester Munson that details the connection. Munson was an investigative reporter who wrote about the original insurance fraud scandal in 1992.

For those interested in the case, there is an excellent book, “Blood Money,” written by William Nack. It’s a chiling story that details how certain horse owners dealt with horses that no longer performed up to par, making them worth more dead than they were alive. Several big names in the elite circle of equestrian competition were brought down by the scandal; some are still barred from competing — and even from watching — shows today.

Apparently, Lisa Druck was at the barn when Tommy Burns enabled her father to collect the $150,000 insurance money on her jumper. How much she knew, is not published. But in a tantalizing glimpse of the truth, much of her life was documented in a book by Jay MacInerny, “The Story of my Life,” where she appears as the character Alison Poole. Perhaps Senator Edwards should have read the book before she added the latest chapter!