Ensign Facing an Ethical Hot Potato, but no Legal Case (Yet)

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»

(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»

(NEWSER) - Fox News had the bombshell about Sen. John Ensign’s affair in its lap and didn’t do anything with it, Howard Kurtz writes in the Washington Post. A Fox producer tells the Huffington Post the network never received a letter Douglas Hampton, the husband of the Republican’s mistress, sent last week, but did get an email from him on Monday. “We followed up with him, but he seemed evasive and not credible,” Tom Lowell said, “thus we didn't pursue it.” More»

Disgraced senator says supporters don't want him to resign

(NEWSER) - Sen. John Ensign says he’ll stick with his job and run for reelection despite news of his affair and his parents’ $96,000 payment to his mistress’ family, the Las Vegas Sun reports. The Republican says his supporters are telling him he shouldn’t resign, and “I fully plan on running for reelection,” he says. “I’m going to work to earn their respect back.” 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»