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Hampton: 'Crystal Clear' That Ensign Payment Was Severance

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Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

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Doug Hampton's campaign to bring down the man who slept with his wife continues.

Hampton's latest blast at Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) came in a sit-down with ABC News's Nightline. In excerpts teased on the ABC News site, Hampton doubles down on his contention that the $96,000 he and his wife received from Ensign's parents, after the affair was discovered, was a severance package, not a gift as Ensign has claimed. A severance payment would have violated campaign-finance laws.

Hampton said it was "crystal clear" that the payment was severance. "I took notes. I've shared those notes. They're well documented. They were clearly what he deemed as severance."

The Ensign camp has described the payment as part of a "pattern of generosity," showed by the Ensign family to the Hamptons.

Hampton ridiculed that claim to ABC. "Pattern of generosity?" he said. "Oh, hey, listen, 'We realize our son's having an affair with your wife, maybe some money will help.' It's ridiculous!"

But could Hampton's public campaign be counter-productive? The Justice Department may be considering a criminal probe of whether Ensign violated campaign-finance law, both with the payment to the Hamptons, and by reportedly arranging for Hampton to lobby his staff after Hampton had left Ensign's employ. But a former DOJ prosecutor told Politico yesterday that by talking to the media, Hampton is making himself less valuable as a potential witness. "Every time [Hampton] speaks, he's seriously undermining his own credibility as a witness and the viability of prosecution. It's just not what you want to have happen from a prosecutorial standpoint."

It probably makes him feel good though.

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7 comments

Recommend Recommend (3)

November 20, 2009 10:35 AM   

HA!..The headline may say "Severance" but the rest of the consuming public with more brain cells working than most republicans have in total, believe this was a PAYOFF...BY HIS MOMMY AND DADDY!!! This guy belongs IN JAIL !!!!

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November 20, 2009 11:13 AM   

And what about the RGA (??) hiring the son of Ensign's mistress, who at the ripe age of 19 was employed as a policy expert or such?

That was likewise fraud - and against the GOP at that. I love the smell of irony in the A.M.

Ensign has stepped into a large, steaming pile of ethical poo. And it won't scrape of his shoes easily.

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November 20, 2009 11:33 AM   

Time for a moral cleansing at C-Street.

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November 20, 2009 12:05 PM    in reply to traitorjoe

My understanding, according to The Family creed, is they are chosen by God to do his works, and whatever they do is his work, so there's no morality problem. Just wait for the "Really New and Improved Testament™” co-authored by that huge biblical scholar and son of Philis Schlafly, Andy Schlafly. I'm sure Ensign will meet Phili's morality standard.

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November 20, 2009 11:49 AM   

anyone who can accpet his explanation that the money was a charitable gift is absolutely batshit crazy.

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November 20, 2009 1:29 PM    in reply to Obama1st

Unfortunately, the Justice Department appears to be leaning in that direction.

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November 23, 2009 9:36 PM   

I'm not sure if payment was for severance or loss of consortium but whatever got cut off wasn't done for charity.

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