According to documents unsealed Friday, the commission has denied the campaign's request to reconsider its original repayment order. The FEC says the campaign now has less than a month to pay back the money.
Lawyers working for Edwards in the case did not have an immediate response Friday morning. Edwards' lawyers had requested a review of the original order, which was issued last July.
The FEC case is separate from a pending criminal trial in which Edwards has pleaded not guilty to charges of violating campaign finance law in a bid to cover up an extramarital affair.