Fox, Handed Ensign Affair, Commits Ugly Fumble

Evidence mounts that Ensign may have crossed ethics lines

(NEWSER) - John Ensign tried to get a Las Vegas energy firm to hire his lover's husband as a lobbyist, according to new emails making the rounds at the FBI and a Senate ethics panel. The emails, which a source passed off to the New York Times , represent the first written evidence that Ensign tried to steer work to Douglas Hampton, a former top aide, and seem to belie Ensign’s insistence that he didn’t know the jobs would involve lobbying. More»

Hampton's lawyer made 'exorbitant demands': senator

(NEWSER) - The husband of John Ensign’s mistress sent a letter detailing the affair to Fox News just days before the senator’s public admission, the Las Vegas Sun reports. A spokesman said Ensign acknowledged the affair because Doug Hampton had approached “a major television news channel.” The senator's office cranked up the dispute this afternoon, releasing a statement that reads in part: "Doug Hampton's legal counsel made exorbitant demands for cash and other financial benefits on behalf of his client." More»

Ex-lover would have to make accusation

(NEWSER) - The husband of John Ensign’s ex-mistress has accused the Republican senator of sexual harassment and wrongful termination—but there can be no legal case unless Cindy Hampton herself accuses Ensign of unwanted advances or creating a hostile work environment, experts tell Politico. Thus far, she’s the only one of the three who’s kept quiet. “The harassment claim has to come from the person harassed,” notes a lawyer. More»

(NEWSER) - Yet another twist in the John Ensign scandal: The Nevada senator's parents gave his mistress and her family nearly $100,000 when their son's affair came to light, reports the Las Vegas Sun. The Ensigns gave the money to the Hamptons in the form of gifts under $12,000 each to stay in line with tax laws. More»

Husband releases note, raises possible felony charges

(NEWSER) - For those keeping score, John Ensign is the senator whose affair made national headlines before Mark Sanford. He may have thought he was done with the spotlight, but the husband of his former lover is having none of it. Doug Hampton has given the Las Vegas Sun a letter that Ensign wrote to Cynthia Hampton in which the senator admits that he used her "for my own pleasure" and "betrayed everything I believe in." He added that he "justified my actions because I blamed my wife." More»