Sen. Ensign admits extramarital affair

[gwen]

John Ensign draws call to resign


Sen. John Ensign is facing an increasingly uncertain future in the Senate, with a senior Democrat saying that the Nevada Republican should resign if allegations against him are true and other senators mulling the possibility of public hearings into his extramarital affair with a former staffer.


“If it is true that indeed he did make these payoffs and all that kind of stuff, then I would think the honorable thing would be to resign,” Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said in an interview.


Harkin added that he doesn’t “like the smell” of a sex scandal that has “cast a bad image on the Senate.”


Harkin’s public declaration — the first of its kind by a sitting senator — comes as Ensign’s Senate colleagues stand to make life more difficult for him.


The bipartisan Senate Ethics Committee is not ruling out holding public hearings in the case, a move that some believe could help drive Ensign from office. A number of senators signaled to POLITICO they’d be supportive of seeing Ensign sit before a public forum to address the allegations, something that has not been done since the Keating Five scandal in 1991.


Yet such a decision is not imminent, and it’s unclear how party leaders on both sides of the aisle would rule on the matter. Senate Ethics Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) won’t say directly whether she wants public hearings into the Ensign affair.


Boxer, though, pushed hard for public hearings into the Bob Packwood sex scandal in 1995, and she suggested in an interview with POLITICO that she’s open to the same possibility in the Ensign case.


“All you have to do is read the rules of the committee, which I did then and I do now,” Boxer said. “And I follow the rules of the committee — I did then and I do now.”


Other Democratic senators are supportive of such a step. West Virginia Sen. John Rockefeller, who backed public hearings on Packwood, said he “would have to be consistent” with Ensign. “Situations change, but people don’t,” he said.


A third Democratic senator, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said he’d back public hearings on Ensign as well, “but I would hope he would do the right thing before then, which is to [resign].”


Ensign has admitted having a nine-month affair in 2007-2008 with Cynthia Hampton, a former campaign aide married to a top staffer in his office, Doug Hampton.


Ensign has also revealed that his parents paid the Hamptons $96,000 as they were leaving his office — raising questions on whether it was a severance package that had to be reported under federal law. The Hamptons sought millions of dollars in additional payments from Ensign, but he declined to make them.


Some ethics groups have said that if the Hamptons were let go because of the extramarital affair, Ensign may have violated sexual harassment rules — and federal investigators are examining whether Ensign conspired to break federal ethics laws by assisting with the lobbying career of Doug Hampton after he left the senator’s staff.


An Ensign spokeswoman did not respond to several requests seeking comment for this story. Ensign has previously denied that he violated any federal laws or Senate rules, saying he will participate fully with the ongoing investigations.


Ensign lacks the support of the Republican leadership, and he could be on his way out of the Senate if his fate ends up in the hands of his colleagues.


“It’s not just because you might have had an affair with someone; that’s not a reason to resign,” Harkin said. “But it’s the other things — I said if it’s true.”


The Ethics Committee’s rules allow it to hold public hearings during any stage of an investigation, and it is required to give the defendant an opportunity to request a hearing before it recommends disciplinary actions, which can range from a slap on the wrist to expulsion from the Senate. The committee can decide to hold hearings behind closed doors, but a defendant may ask for it to be open in order to publicly air his or her side of the story.


“The rules are clear when you have to go public,” Boxer said when asked about public hearings. “There’s a certain stage where they do go public. Of course, we abide by the rules.”


Some legal experts said it’s unclear whether the Senate Ethics Committee can still hold a public hearing if a defendant waives his or her right to one or whether it would do so even if possible.


“It would be highly unusual for an Ethics Committee investigation to be in public,” said Ken Gross, a Washington-based ethics law expert.


Boxer wouldn’t acknowledge there’s a gray area for such sessions. She said the rules require public hearings “in certain cases.”


“The same thing propels me now, doing what’s in the rules — the spirit and the letter of the law,” Boxer said.


It’s not clear when public hearings might occur if they were to take place.


As much as the Democrats might like to make Ensign an election year issue for Republicans, Boxer has her own reelection race to run. She has seen her poll numbers slide, meaning the three-term senator is going to have to spend more time back home in coming months, rather than in Washington overseeing the Ensign probe.


And the Ethics Committee would have to determine whether its aggressive moves could interfere with a separate Justice Department investigation into Ensign’s affair.


A federal grand jury in Washington recently issued subpoenas to the National Republican Senatorial Committee and a half-dozen companies and individuals in Nevada, seeking information regarding allegations that Ensign offered to help Silver State credit card companies derail legislation in return for donations to the GOP committee.


Thus, the Ethics Committee probe could spill into the next Congress, meaning public hearings might happen ahead of the 2012 election, when Ensign’s seat is up. GOP leaders said privately that they don’t want him to run for reelection.


For Boxer, the Ensign case recalls her early days in the Senate — and the furor surrounding sexual harassment allegations against Packwood, who faced charges of sexual misconduct brought by 29 women. Boxer joined with women’s groups like the National Organization for Women in calling for public hearings into the case.


With resistance from then-Ethics Committee Chairman Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the Packwood matter never came before a public hearing despite a fierce push by Boxer, who narrowly lost a Senate floor vote to force the issue into the open. Packwood eventually resigned from the Senate, after the Ethics Committee recommended his expulsion.


“We have an obligation to demonstrate to our constituents that we take seriously our constitutionally mandated responsibility to police ourselves,” Boxer said on the floor in August 1995. “By attempting to sweep our problems under the committee room’s rug, we do the opposite. The committee should do what it has always done in cases to reach this final phase — it should hold public hearings to investigate the allegations.”


Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who was elected in 2006, said the Ethics Committee shouldn’t arbitrarily decide to conduct public hearings on individual senators but signaled she’d like to see open forums regularly in ongoing ethics cases.


“I think more of it should be public,” McCaskill said. “Our ethics committees have not done an aggressive enough job in going after problems within the body.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/05 ... Page3.html

[gwen]

Ensign asks for help with legal bills


Embattled Sen. John Ensign, blaming a prominent watchdog group for his troubles, is asking supporters to help pay his legal bills from parallel criminal and ethics investigations into the fallout over his extramarital affair with a former aide.

Ensign, who went public over his affair with Cindy Hampton in June, 2009, sent out a fundraising appeal last week seeking contributions to his legal defense fund.

The solicitation was first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

In a letter seeking as much as $10,000 from individual donors, Ensign said he has “been accused of doing things I absolutely did not do.”

Ensign added that Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group that Ensign called a “liberal organization,” has “filed an ethics complaint against me, which has led to considerable legal fees.”

“I have paid those fees personally up to this point. And as difficult as it is for me to ask you, I need your help to refute those charges and wage a successful legal defense,” he said.

Ensign is under investigation by the Justice Department and Senate Ethics Committee. Doug Hampton, husband of Cindy Hampton and a former Ensign staffer, said the Nevada Republican promised to find him lobbying work after he left Ensign’s office in April 2008. Doug Hampton has accused Ensign of violating a one-year lobbying ban imposed on senior aides once they leave Capitol Hill.

The Hamptons sought millions of dollars from Ensign, the son of a wealthy casino owner, but Ensign refused to pay. His parents, however, did give $96,000 to the Hamptons and their children.

Ensign went public with news of the affair a year ago after Doug Hampton contacted Fox News to disclose the affair with his wife and its aftermath.

The Justice Department is investigating Ensign over his dealings with Doug Hampton after he left the senator’s office, as well as Ensign's activities as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. POLITICO recently reported that Ensign's colleague, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), turned over e-mails and other documents on Ensign and Doug Hampton to the FBI. Coburn was asked by Doug Hampton to act as intermediary when the two sides tried to negotiate a financial settlement.

In response to Ensign's letter, CREW released a statement blasting him.

“Sen. Ensign had an extended affair with a campaign staffer, who happened to be married to his chief of staff, Doug Hampton, fired them both and had his parents pay them off without properly reporting it to the Federal Election Commission,” said CREW’s executive director, Melanie Sloan. “He then conspired to help Mr. Hampton to set up a lobbying business to lobby his own office, in violation of federal law. So what exactly are the things that Sen. Ensign is being accused of that he did not do?”

“The case against Sen. Ensign has nothing to do with the fact that he’s a Republican and everything to do with the fact that he’s corrupt,” Sloan went on. “Much like CREW has called for Congressman Charles Rangel to step down, it’s time for Sen. Ensign to look in the mirror, stop blaming other people, finally take responsibly for his actions and resign.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41055.html

[gwen]

Plagued by scandal, Sen. Ensign announces retirement

Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) announced his retirement Monday, ending months of speculation over whether the scandal-plagued Republican would forge ahead with another campaign in 2012.

Citing the "pain" that a "very ugly campaign" would inflict on his family, Ensign announced at a news conference in Las Vegas that he would not seek reelection.

"I do not want to put my family, those that I care about, or this state through what would be a very ugly campaign that would ultimately cause a great deal more pain than has already been felt as a result of my actions," Ensign said, according to prepared remarks.

Calling it "the most difficult decision of my life," Ensign thanked his family, staff and others who have stood by him since the revelation of his affair with the wife of a former staffer. And, despite abysmal poll numbers, Ensign said his decision was not about his 2012 reelection prospects.

"As I have traveled across Nevada during this time, I have encountered many challenges, but also many offers of financial support and for volunteers on my reelection campaign," he said. "I cannot tell you how very appreciative I am to those who have stood by me during some of my darkest hours."

He does plan to serve out the rest of his term, according to Republican sources.

His retirement is another that favors the GOP in its drive to retake the Senate majority next year. Ensign was widely seen as the most vulnerable Republican incumbent up for reelection next year, and his exit means Republicans will likely get their candidate of choice next year — Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.).

With Ensign out of the race, Republicans expect Heller to jump in. The Nevada congressman was already moving toward challenging Ensign in the primary.

Democrats are touting the announcement as their chance to pick up the seat.

"Nevada is now an open seat, and ripe for a Democratic pickup. It remains high on our target list. Whoever Republicans field as their candidate will have a tough time holding onto this seat in a blue-trending state with President Obama at the top of the ticket. Democrats will have the resources needed to win this seat and just as important, will build a grassroots organization that matches 2008 and 2010," Guy Cecil, executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a statement.

And Republicans expressed confidence they would keep the seat.

"Next year’s Senate race in Nevada will now come down to a clear choice between two competing visions for our country – between a Republican candidate who believes in smaller government, fiscal responsibility and creating good, private sector jobs, and a Democrat candidate who believes in keeping our country on the same reckless fiscal path of more government and higher taxes. Republicans welcome this choice and I am confident we will successfully retain this seat as we work to win back a new Senate Republican majority," National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) said in a statement.

As for Ensign, Cornyn merely said: "I thank Senator Ensign for his nearly two decades of public service."

Ensign had repeatedly said he intended to run for reelection next year and recently told The Ballot Box that he was gearing up his political and fundraising operation ahead of 2012. He has held a handful of Washington fundraisers this year.

But it's no secret that Republicans wanted him off the 2012 ballot. Heller is polling well ahead Ensign and leads every potential Democratic challenger for the seat in hypothetical general election matchups.

Ensign admitted an affair with the wife of a former campaign aide in 2009, and he's under investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee for allegedly helping the aide, Doug Hampton, land work as a lobbyist.

Ensign is the third Republican senator to announce his retirement this cycle. Sens. Jon Kyl (Ariz.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas) also won't seek reelection.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/sen ... conference

[gwen]

Husband of Ensign's ex-lover: Resign now

Doug Hampton says John Ensign's "consequence to sin" should begin now.

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- The Nevada man whose wife had a monthslong affair with Sen. John Ensign says the Republican should immediately resign to shield the family from an ongoing ethics investigation stemming from the extramarital relationship.

Doug Hampton said in a rare statement Wednesday that Ensign's "callousness and lack of remorse" has prolonged the anguish caused by the 2008 affair.

Hampton said he, his wife and others close to them have been asked to return to Washington to be deposed in the investigation. Hampton called the investigation a waste of public money.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/davidcata ... n_now.html

[resigned]

Husband of Ensign's ex-lover: Resign now

Doug Hampton says John Ensign's "consequence to sin" should begin now.

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- The Nevada man whose wife had a monthslong affair with Sen. John Ensign says the Republican should immediately resign to shield the family from an ongoing ethics investigation stemming from the extramarital relationship.

Doug Hampton said in a rare statement Wednesday that Ensign's "callousness and lack of remorse" has prolonged the anguish caused by the 2008 affair.

Hampton said he, his wife and others close to them have been asked to return to Washington to be deposed in the investigation. Hampton called the investigation a waste of public money.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/davidcata ... n_now.html

Bet he doesn't want to chance having his wife hook up with Ensign in DC again either.

[gwen]

Bet he doesn't want to chance having his wife hook up with Ensign in DC again either.

Probably not!

[gwen]

Ensign accuser Doug Hampton arraigned on lobbying charges

Doug Hampton, a former top aide to Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), was arraigned in federal court on Monday on seven counts of violating the one-year lobbying ban imposed on senior congressional staffers.

Hampton, whose wife Cindy had a nine-month extramarital affair with Ensign, allegedly violated that one-year prohibition by seeking help from Ensign and his aides for lobbying clients once Hampton left the Nevada Republican’s office in April 2008. This includes getting Ensign to help set up a March 2009 meeting with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on behalf of Allegiant Air, a Las Vegas airline run by a longtime Ensign supporter, among other allegations.

Hampton, who now lives in Southern California, pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on his own recognizance. His next court date is on July 1.

Hampton, who has repeatedly stated that his life and career were ruined by his wife's affair with Ensign, is being represented by a federal public defender, and the U.S. Marshals Service paid his airfare to today's arraignment hearing.

A.J. Kramer, Hampton's attorney, told U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell that the Justice Department had turned over "hundreds of thousands of pages of documents" as part of the discovery process, but that only "400 to 500 documents" were at the "core of the case" against his client.

Hampton and Kramer declined to speak to comment on the case following the 20-minute court session.

Hampton faces a five-year prison term and $250,000 on each of the counts.

Ensign was investigated by the Justice Department but no charges will be brought against the Nevada Republican, leading to complaints from ethics watchdog groups.

And Hampton's attorney may try to call Ensign to appear at any trial, although Senate lawyers are almost certain to oppose such a move.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthru ... ation.html

[gwen]

Sen. Ensign to resign

Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) announced Thursday he will resign his seat effective May 3.

"It is with tremendous sadness that I officially hand over the Senate seat that I have held for eleven years," he said in a statement. "The turbulence of these last few years is greatly surpassed by the incredible privilege that I feel to have been entrusted to serve the people of Nevada. I can honestly say that being a United States senator has been the honor of my life."

The senator plans to send his resignation letter to Vice President Biden on Friday.

Ensign is under a Senate Ethics Committee investigation over claims he violated ethics rules in the aftermath of an affair with Cynthia Hampton, the wife of former top aide Doug Hampton, whom he helped obtain a lucrative lobbying job.

He cited the investigation in his statement.

"I will not continue to subject my family, my constituents, or the Senate to any further rounds of investigation, depositions, drawn out proceedings, or especially public hearings. For my family and me, this continued personal cost is simply too great," he said.

The committee ramped up its investigation earlier this year, including hiring an outside counsel. The investigation would be dropped, however, if Ensign is no longer a member of the Senate.

The resignation announcement started speculation the committee was closing in the senator.

"First started hearing rumblings of Ensign resignation earlier this week. No other reason (outside of health) than ethics was moving ahead," Nevada political reporter Jon Ralston, who first reported the news, tweeted Thursday.

Ensign noted he was "hopeful" that the dismal of other federal investigations would end the Ethics investigation.

"I am gratified that, after extended investigations, both the Department of Justice and the Federal Election Commission saw no grounds on which to charge me with improper conduct. I was hopeful that, with the closure of these investigations against me the wear and tear on my family and me would soon be over. This was not the case," he said.

Reached Thursday night by phone, Ensign's lawyer, Robert Walker, who is representing him with regards to the ethics probe, declined to comment.

Ensign said earlier this year he would run for reelection, but he was under heavy pressure from the party to step aside over concerns the fallout from his admitted affair would hurt their chances to retain his seat.

He announced in March he would not run for a third term.

Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) has already announced he's running for Ensign's seat, and it's possible Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval would appoint him as Ensign's replacement.

If he's appointed, it would give Heller an advantage over Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), his likely general election competition.

Berkley was heavily recruited by Democrats to run and is considered the strongest competition to Heller. She quickly won the backing of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Guy Cecil, Executive Director of the DSCC, expressed confidence in Berkley.

"There will be a very clear choice for Nevadans between an uncompromising extremist like Dean Heller, who wants to end Medicare and cut loans for small businesses to give more tax breaks for the very rich, and Shelley Berkley, a true fighter for Nevada’s economy and middle class. Nevada will remain a top target for Senate Democrats," he said in a statement Thursday.

Democrats have high hopes of winning the seat. The party has to defend 23 seats in 2012 and, if President Obama wins reelection, Republicans only need a net gain of four seats to win control of the upper chamber.

According to Nevada law, Sandoval would then have to call a special election for Heller's House seat. Republican Sharron Angle, who lost her bid to replace Reid last year, is running for Heller's seat.

Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki (R) is also likely to run for Heller’s House seat but hasn't made a formal announcement.

Earlier this month, Hampton, Ensign's former chief of staff, plead not guilty to charges that he circumvented the federal "revolving door" law. The Department of Justice investigated allegations that Ensign violated federal law by helping Hampton obtain a job, but there were no charges filed.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), which has long called for Ensign's resignation, put out a statement praising the senator's decision but pointing to the politics likely behind it.

"The truth no one is likely to admit is that Sen. Ensign is being pushed out to give the Republican party a leg up in the 2012 election by allowing Governor Brian Sandoval to appoint Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) to the seat so he can run with all the advantages of incumbency," CREW executive director Melanie Sloan said.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/sen ... -to-resign