Doug Hampton

The Ensign-Hampton Affair: Text Messages, Prayer Breakfast And Yahoo Addresses

Ryan J. Reilly | May 13, 2011, 8:24AM

She was listed in his phone under "Aunt Judy." He told her he wanted to marry her at the National Prayer Breakfast. There were secret cell phones which the two used to exchange text messages at a rate of nearly 20 per day. And after her husband spotted the lovers' cars outside a hotel in Nevada, his long-time spiritual adviser called and told him to "put your pants on and go home."

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Topics: Cynthia Hampton, Doug Hampton, John Ensign

John Ensign

Reid: Ethics Committee Is 'Obligated' To Issue Ensign Report

Susan Crabtree | April 27, 2011, 4:31PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was traveling on an official trip to China last week when his scandal-scarred Nevada GOP colleague, John Ensign, announced his resignation so he hasn't had a chance to comment until now.

Reid told reporters on a conference call Wednesday that he thinks the Senate Ethics Committee will issue a final report on the charges surrounding Ensign's affair with a top staffer's wife and the creative steps he took to keep it quiet.

In fact, he said, the panel doesn't have a choice.

"They are obligated to come up with a report," he said, noting that he had previously served as chairman of the ethics panel for many years.

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Topics: Cynthia Hampton, Doug Hampton, Ethics, Harry Reid, John Ensign, Justice Department, Senate Ethics Committee

John Ensign

Ensign Still On The Ethics Hook After Resigning

Susan Crabtree | April 22, 2011, 3:47PM

Scandal-scarred Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) may have hoped resigning would keep quiet unsavory details and new charges surrounding his affair with a top staffer's wife, but he's not off the hook yet.

The Senate Ethics Committee issued a rare statement Friday signaling it would continue its investigation of Ensign's affair and steps he took to keep it quiet despite having formally resigned his Senate seat. Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA), the top Democrat and Republican on the panel respectively, said his resignation is "appropriate" and indicated they would wrap up work on the probe as soon as possible.

"The Senate Ethics Committee has worked diligently for nearly 22 months on this matter and will complete its work in a timely fashion," they said in the statement.

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Topics: Cynthia Hampton, Douglas Hampton, Ethics, Ethics Panel, House Ethics Committee, John Ensign, Office of Congressional Ethics, Senate Ethics Committee

John Ensign

Former Ensign Love Triangle Aide Indicted For Post-Senate Lobbying

Susan Crabtree | March 24, 2011, 6:06PM

Federal prosecutors have charged the husband of Sen. John Ensign's (R-NV) former mistress with breaking criminal revolving-door lobbying laws.

The indictment, issued Thursday afternoon, charges Doug Hampton, a former top aide to Ensign, with seven counts of violating conflict-of-interest laws, according to a Justice Department release.

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Topics: Conflict of Interest, Congress, Cynthia Hampton, Department of Justice, Douglas Hampton, John Ensign, Lobbyists, Republicans, Senate Ethics Committee

John Ensign

Watchdogs to Ethics Panel: Keep Pursuing Ensign Hush Money Case

Susan Crabtree | March 8, 2011, 8:43AM

Watchdogs are calling on the Senate Ethics Committee to continue digging into the hush money case against Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) despite his decision not to run for reelection.

The Ethics Committee last month announced the appointment a special prosecutor to lead the investigation into activities surrounding Ensign's affair with a political staffer because the panel was finding it too difficult to pursue the case. But ethics committees don't have jurisdiction over senators and members once they leave the House and Senate, and often the panels decide to drop their cases against lawmakers who announce their retirements and are heading out the door.

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Topics: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), CREW, Cynthia Hampton, Douglas Hampton, Ethics, Ethics Panel, John Ensign, Senate Ethics Committee, Senators

John Ensign

FEC Ignored Its General Counsel In Letting Ensign Off The Hook

Rachel Slajda | December 21, 2010, 9:44AM

When the Federal Election Commission decided in November to close a complaint against Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), it ignored the recommendation of its general counsel.

According to just-released documents, in March the general counsel -- a non-partisan office of the FEC -- found that there was "reason to believe" that Ensign's parents had broken campaign finance law by giving the family of Ensign's former mistress and staffer $96,000 in April 2008.

That means the general counsel believed that a further investigation was warranted. In November, the full commission, which is made up of partisan commissioners, declined to do a further investigation and closed the matter. The FEC is not bound to follow the recommendations of its general counsel.

You can read the general counsel's report here (PDF).

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Topics: Campaign Finance, Cynthia Hampton, Doug Hampton, FEC, John Ensign, Justice Department, Senate Ethics Committee