Nevada Senator John Ensign to Resign

Senate ethics panel makes unusual move to continue after resignation

(NEWSER) - John Ensign may have quit to avoid further scrutiny of his peccadilloes, but the Senate ethics investigation into his affair with a campaign staffer will go on, reports the Washington Post. “Senator Ensign has made the appropriate decision," said a statement from Sens. Barbara Boxer and Johnny Isakson, who are leading the inquiry. However, “The Senate Ethics Committee has worked diligently for 22 months on this matter and will complete its work in a timely fashion." Ensign will step down May 3, notes Politico, a day before he was to be deposed. More»

In wake of scandal, senator ducks reelection fight

(NEWSER) - John Ensign will announce that he is not running for reelection in 2012 at an afternoon press conference in Las Vegas, sources tell Roll Call . Republicans have been leaning on the Nevada senator to retire, on the assumption that his much-discussed extramarital dalliances would prove a distraction. Rep. Dean Heller had signaled that he might challenge Ensign in a primary, and he's now expected to run for the seat. More»

Nevada senator has gotten only $50 for 2012 re-election

(NEWSER) - Congratulations, you're nearly tied with John Ensign in political contributions. The Nevada senator has pulled in all of two donations so far this year toward his re-election in 2012, reports Talking Points Memo . Both came from the same guy. Both were for 25 bucks. Zachary Roth even tracked down the donor, a retiree who says he's not fazed by Ensign's affair and related trouble because "all men are dogs." More»

Senator arranged lobbying work for senior aide after having affair with his wife

(NEWSER) - Sen. John Ensign says his affair with an aide was a strictly personal matter but he may have trampled on ethics rules and federal criminal law during his efforts at damage control, according to the New York Times. Ensign helped his mistress' husband, Doug Hampton—another senior aide— join a consulting firm after the affair ended in 2008 and helped find him lobbying work for several firms that donated to his campaign, despite a law barring senior aides from lobbying the Senate for a year after leaving their jobs. More»

(NEWSER) - More trouble for John Ensign in Nevada. The Republican senator has lost two senior aides in as many days, reports the Las Vegas Sun. The developments follow Ensign's admission that he had an affair with a former staffer and that his wealthy parents then paid her $100,000. What's worse, the staff departures are fueling speculation that more embarrassing revelations are imminent, the Sun notes. More»