Senate ethics panel opens probe of Nevada Republican

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Senate Ethics Committee is investigating Senator John Ensign and allegations of improper conduct stemming from an affair with the wife of a former aide.

“Whenever allegations of improper conduct are brought to the attention of the Senate Ethics Committee, we open a preliminary inquiry,” committee spokeswoman Natalie Ravitz told CNN.

But, in keeping with the committee’s tradition of secrecy, Ravitz went on to say that the “Ethics Committee doesn’t comment on ongoing investigations.”

Because of the tight lipped nature of the ethics panel, it is unclear exactly what the Ethics Committee is probing.

The Nevada Republican admitted in June to having an affair with Cynthia Hampton, the wife of former aide and long-time friend Doug Hampton, who left Ensign’s staff in 2008 in the wake of that affair.

Read more: http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/02/senate-ethics-panel-opens-probe-of-nevada-republican/

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NYT front page earlier today: Senator’s Aid After Affair Raises Flags Over Ethics
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/us/politics/02ensign.html?ref=todayspaper

role in Ensign's affair. Twisted people.

These assholes stoped at nothing to get Clinton..But the leg twister in the bathroom was allowed to stay on...

Get Coburn too if he was a go between..

They only care about themselves.... righteous assholes...(apologies to the asses of the world)

Or is it the Republicon public restroom stall scandal?

Or is it the Republicon boink-your-staffer's wife scandal?

Or are there yet more Republicon Family Values kinkouts that have yet to shock shock shock America, and to be ignored the corporate media?

strongly worded letter and make him cry. Then everyone will go on about their merry business.

Because ETHICS are for The Little People. Just like laws.

The media today cornered McConnell during a presser that was to be about health care, and they were all over the Ensign ethics scandal. What's of note is how McConnell did not defend Ensign and chose instead to say he had no observations to make about the Ensign matter.

The revelations about his helping his paramour's husband obtain lobbying contracts, etc... is devastating to him. Things are shaping up for Nevada to lose both its sitting Senators. Not necessarily a bad thing.

Jobs for those who could stir up trouble about his affair and such.

All this time Ensign was brazenly taking his place in the GOP's seditious campaigning against our president, confidently secure, I guess, that forgiveness from The Family (the self-called "Christian Mafia" that Jeff Sharlett told us about) was enough.

I'm sure "committee spokeswoman" Natalie Ravitz is a lovely person....but who the hell are the responsible, VOTING members?
(I'm preparing my telephone campaign.)

http://ethics.senate.gov/

Democrats
Barbara Boxer, California, Chairman
Mark L. Pryor, Arkansas
Sherrod Brown, Ohio

Republicans
Johnny Isakson, Georgia, Vice Chairman
Pat Roberts, Kansas
James E. Risch, Idaho

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department and the Senate Ethics Committee are expected to conduct preliminary inquiries into whether Senator John Ensign violated federal law or ethics rules as part of an effort to conceal an affair with the wife of an aide, current and former officials said Friday.

“Whenever allegations of improper conduct are brought to the attention of Senate Ethics Committee, we open a preliminary inquiry,” said Natalie Ravitz, a spokeswoman for Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California and chairwoman of the committee.

The inquiries will most likely examine whether Mr. Ensign, a Nevada Republican, or Douglas Hampton, his one-time administrative assistant, broke the law after Mr. Hampton, immediately upon leaving his Congressional job last year, began to lobby Mr. Ensign’s office. Mr. Hampton, as a senior aide, was subject to a one-year lobbying ban, lawyers who specialize in ethics law said.

<snip>

Mr. Ensign could be legally at risk if he knew that Mr. Hampton was violating the one-year ban, or if he actually directed him to do so, as Mr. Hampton has said, ethics lawyers said.

<snip>

Mr. Ensign, after requests from Mr. Hampton, appealed to officials at the Department of Interior and the Department of Transportation to take up issues raised by Mr. Hampton’s lobbying clients, NV Energy, a Nevada power company, and Allegiant Air, an airline based in Las Vegas.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/us/politics/03ensign.html?hp

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:popcorn:

Can you say "criminal investigation" too?

One less bloodsucking hypocrite in Washington...

I will not give the cretin the satisfaction of giving him the respect that using capital letters in his name would do. that is all

make tax free gifts totaling $100K to the unhappy couple and their kids?

Source: CNN.com

From CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The chair of the Senate Ethics Committee said Sunday that a preliminary investigation has begun into the conduct of Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign.

Ensign admitted earlier this year to an extramarital affair with a married campaign staffer. A recent report by the New York Times suggests that Ensign went to great lengths to aid the staffer’s husband, who also worked as an aide in Ensign’s Senate office, and, in the process, may have encouraged the possible violation of Senate rules regarding lobbying.

“I can’t discuss this with you other than to say that there’s a preliminary investigation going on,” California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer told John King on CNN’s State of the Union. “And we will look at all aspects of this case as we do whenever there’s a case before us and try to get to the bottom of it as quickly as we can in fairness to all.”

Asked about the specific issues the investigation is looking into, Boxer said she was not permitted by Senate rules to do so.



Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/04/boxer-ethics-committee-doing-preliminary-ensign-investigation/