TPMDC Doug Hampton
John Ensign
DOJ Access To Ensign Emails Could Determine His Legal Fate
Former Sen. John Ensign's (R-NV) legal fate may hinge on a gray area of the law governing the separation-of-powers between the legislative and judicial branches of government.
The Senate Ethics Committee's decision to hand over all of its evidence in the case against Ensign to the Justice Department - which includes hundreds of e-mails as Reuters' Murray Waas reported Thursday -- has raised new questions about the Speech and Debate Clause of the Constitution and whether it can prevent DOJ prosecutors from using those e-mails and other documents obtained in the panel's investigation that ended the Nevada Republican's once promising political career.
Topics: Constitution, Cynthia Hampton, Doug Hampton, John Ensign, Justice Department, Senate Ethics Committee, speech and debate
John Ensign
'Jack Him Up To High Heaven' Ensign Said After Constituent Refused To Hire His Mistress' Husband
Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)
Former Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) was so aggressive in helping Doug Hampton, the husband of his ex-mistress and a former top Senate aide, violate the one-year lobbying ban after Hampton resigned that he threatened to cut off constituents who refused to hire Hampton.
After Hampton learned about the affair between his wife, Cynthia, and Ensign, the senator told Hampton he could not longer work for him and started negotiating a severance payment. Ensign also set out to find him work, meeting with constituents and recommending they hire Hampton.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Cynthia Hampton, Department of Justice, Doug Hampton, John Ensign, Seante Ethics Committee
John Ensign
Senate Ethics Refers Ensign Case to DOJ, FEC
Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)
The Senate Ethics Committee has uncovered extensive evidence that former Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) and others broke U.S. law by trying to cover up an affair Ensign had with a campaign aide, the wife of one of his top Senate staffers.
The panel has forwarded the evidence of criminal activities to the Department of Justice for further investigation, which it is required to do in any investigation that turns up evidence of criminal wrongdoing, Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who chairs the ethics panel, and Johnny Isakson (R-GA), said in letters to the DOJ and FEC released Thursday along with a final report from a special prosecutor handling the case.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barbara Boxer, Cynthia Hampton, Doug Hampton, Ethics, John Ensign, Johnny Isakson, Senate Ethics Committee
John Ensign
Nevada GOP Congressman: 'Wounded' Ensign Is 'Cause For Concern'
Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)
It looks like Nevada Republicans' patience with Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), amid the senator's sex-and-lobbying scandal may be wearing thin.
"The fact we have a wounded junior senator, yeah, it is cause for concern," Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) said in a TV interview.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Dean Heller, Doug Hampton, John Ensign, Lobbying, Sex
TPM Top News
© 2011 TPM Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
