John Ensign

Senate Ethics Refers Ensign Case to DOJ, FEC

Susan Crabtree | May 12, 2011, 2:34PM

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.

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John Ensign

Boxer And Isakson To Address Ensign Ethics Case

Susan Crabtree | May 12, 2011, 1:25PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

In a rare move, leaders of the Senate Ethics Committee will take to the Senate floor this afternoon to inform their colleagues about their two-year investigation into the sex scandal and legal issues surrounding it that lead Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) to resign earlier this month.

Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who chairs the ethics panel, and Johnny Isakson (R-GA), the ranking member, are scheduled to give a floor speech about their findings in the case against the Nevada Republican who admitted to having an affair with a former campaign aide, Cynthia Hampton, and then helping her husband, also a top aide, establish a brief lobbying career.

Formal accusations and charges have focused on the great lengths -- and potentially illegal steps -- Ensign took to keep the affair quiet, including having his parents (wealthy Las Vegas casino owners) pay the Hamptons $96,000 in hush money.

Ensign was also accused of knowingly helping Doug Hampton violate the one-year lobbying ban by helping him set up a short-lived job on K Street.

If the ethics committee has found any evidence of criminal wrongdoing, they must forward that evidence to the Justice Department for further investigation.

In March federal prosecutors charged Doug Hampton with seven counts of violating conflict-of-interest laws. In December Ensign said the Justice Department had told him he was no longer a target in its probe, but shortly after the Ethics Committee's hiring of a special counsel to continue its investigation, Ensign said he would retire instead of seeking reelection.

The Federal Election Commission said the $96,000 payments did not violate campaign-finance law because they were paid in installments to the Hamptons and their children in amounts allowed under U.S. tax law.

Still insisting he did nothing wrong, in announcing his resignation in April, Ensign said he decided it was time to go after the Ethics Committee named a special prosecutor to continue looking into the matter, even though he believed the Justice Department had dropped its case and the FEC has dismissed the accusations against him.

START treaty

GOP Senators Isakson, Bennett Back START

Eric Kleefeld | December 21, 2010, 12:05PM

Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Bob Bennett (R-UT)

Two more Republicans have come out in favor of the START nuclear weapons reduction treaty with Russia, with the agreement appearing to be on track for the constitutional requirement of a two-third majority for ratification.

Sens. Bob Bennett (R-UT) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) have announced their support, following an earlier announcement this morning by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN). In addition, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) is expected to announce his support later today -- which would officially put it over the magic number.

Republican Senators who had already announced their support are Richard Lugar (IN), Susan Collins (ME), Olympia Snowe (ME), Scott Brown (ME) and George Voinovich (OH).

Bennett was defeated for renomination at his Republican state convention earlier this year, due to a Tea Party-backed challenge, while Isakson was just re-elected this past November.

START treaty

Dems Close In On START Ratification

Brian Beutler | December 21, 2010, 10:12AM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama

At this point it's all but certain that the Democrats will be able to ratify the new START treaty before the end of the week. Yesterday was a breakthrough, as key on-the-fence Senators announced their support or near support. But the dam fully broke this morning when Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) -- the Senate's third-ranking Republican -- broke with his leadership team, including anti-START ringleader Jon Kyl, to announce his support.

"I will vote to ratify the new START treaty," Alexander said on the Senate floor. Even after the arms reductions the treaty demands, Alexander said, the US will still have enough weapons to blow "enemies" to "kingdom come."

He joins Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) as the most recent Republican to announce their intent to support the treaty; Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) is widely expected to solidify his support for the treaty as well.

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Kirsten Gillibrand

Republican Senators Chase World Cup, Praise America's Immigrant History

Megan Carpentier | July 2, 2010, 2:30PM

USA and Slovenia play in the World Cup, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) wants to bring the tournament to the States.

After the failure of Team USA to beat Ghana and advance in the World Cup tournament, most thought that Americans would wait until 2014 until they started paying attention to soccer again. But Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and a number of Republican colleagues aren't wiling to let soccer fade into obscurity!

She and a few colleagues from both sides of the aisle sent a letter to FIFA President Sepp Blatter today to try to convince him to allow America to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022. Part of their sales pitch is America's vast immigrant population, and their dedication to watching their home country teams battle it out on U.S. soil.

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