Doug Hampton

No Signs Doug Hampton Working With Feds On John Ensign Case

Ryan J. Reilly | January 13, 2012, 3:26PM

Former John Ensign aide Doug Hampton is now one step closer to going on trial on charges he broke an anti-revolving door lobbying law.

Hampton appeared at a pre-trial hearing in Washington, D.C. on Friday, his trip provided by the U.S. Marshals Service because he was financially unable to pay his own way, according to court records. He's due back in court on Sept. 5, with a trial likely in the fall.

Hampton's role in the Ensign debacle is at this point well know. He left Ensign's office in 2008 after learning the Senator had carried on an affair with his wife Cynthia Hampton. Hampton allegedly soon started lobbying Ensign's office in violation of the law. A Senate Ethics Committee report found there was "Substantial Credible Evidence That Senator Ensign Conspired to Violate, and Aided and Abetted" Hampton's alleged violations of the ban. Ensign resigned in April, just before the report was released.

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Doug Hampton

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

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

Former Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

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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John Ensign

Ensign Called Parents' Payment To Lover 'Severance' Until Lawyer Told Him Not To

Ryan J. Reilly | May 12, 2011, 4:35PM

If you asked former Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) about that $96,000 his parents gave to his mistress and her husband, he would say it wasn't a form of severance, it was simply a generous gift. But that wasn't what he called it originally.

The Senate Ethics Committee's report on Ensign's ethics violations reveals that Ensign himself called the $96,000 payout a "severance" in a draft version of his 2009 statement on his affair until his lawyer told him that wasn't such a good idea.

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John Ensign

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

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

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

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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John Ensign

FEC Ignored Its General Counsel In Letting Ensign Off The Hook

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

Former Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

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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John Ensign

Report: Staffers Tell Ethics Panel Ensign Knew He Was Breaking Lobbying Ban

Rachel Slajda | June 23, 2010, 9:47AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

The Hill reports that staffers for Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) have told the Senate Ethics Committee that their boss knew he was breaking a one-year lobbying ban when he helped a former staffer set himself up as a lobbyist.

In depositions to the committee, Ensign's staffers said several aides openly discussed helping to get lobbying gigs for former staffer Doug Hampton, after Ensign had an affair with Hampton's wife. The aides also discussed that such help apparently violated a one-year ban on Congressional staffers moving to K Street, sources close to the investigation told The Hill.

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John Ensign

Mulling Re-Election Bid Despite Scandal, Ensign Gears Up Fundraising

Zachary Roth | May 27, 2010, 4:06PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

After everything that's come out about Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), it seems implausible that he could run for office again. But he may be thinking about doing just that.

The Nevada Republican has been planning fundraisers and making calls to donors, with a view to a possible re-election bid in 2012, reports the Los Angeles Times.

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John Ensign

What Happens In Vegas: Senate Investigators Interview Witnesses In Ensign Probe

Zachary Roth | May 7, 2010, 9:31AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

The Senate Ethics committee's investigation of the John Ensign sex-and-lobbying scandal is in full swing.

Investigators for the panel were holed up in a Las Vegas hotel yesterday, where they interviewed several key figures in the case, KLAS-TV reports. A woman "who looks just like" Cynthia Hampton, Ensign's former mistress, was seen entering the hotel, accompanied by her husband's lawyer, Dan Albregts, says the station. She stayed for two hours.

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John Ensign

Ensign Campaign's Haul Last Quarter: 50 Bucks

Zachary Roth | April 21, 2010, 9:40AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Sen. John Ensign's re-election campaign took in just $50 in contributions, from one contributor, during the first quarter of 2010, according to FEC reports. The paltry take comes as more bad news for the scandal-tarred Nevada Republican, who would run for re-election in 2012.

Disclosure reports examined by TPMmuckraker show that Robert Donald, a Las Vegas retiree, was the sole contributor to the "Ensign for Senate" committee between January and March. Donald gave two separate $25 contributions.

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John Ensign

Associates Dish On Ensign's 'Selfishness and Arrogance'

Zachary Roth | April 5, 2010, 4:53PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

The Las Vegas Sun has taken a deep-dive look into the reputation that Sen. John Ensign enjoys among those who know him -- and come back with some pretty damning testimony.

Reports the paper:

In interviews with the Las Vegas Sun, more than a dozen friends, associates and Republican allies, some of whom have known Ensign for years, describe him as a politician who has grown narcissistic and reckless -- a detached, self-righteous figure with almost no regard for those who helped send him to Washington or keep him there.

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John Ensign

New Ensign Details: 'If You Want John Ensign To Work With You, You Have Got To Hire Doug Hampton'

Zachary Roth | April 2, 2010, 10:00AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

More details have emerged about the actions of Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) in the aftermath of his 2008 affair with a top aide's wife -- already the subject of a heated federal probe.

The senator tried to help a Nevada energy company at the same time that he was urging the company to hire the aide, Doug Hampton, reports the New York Times. That suggests Ensign may have been trying to curry favor with the company in order to get it to agree to hire Hampton. Ensign was desperate to find a job for Hampton at the time, after his affair with Hampton's wife led to the end of Hampton's tenure in Ensign's office.

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John Ensign

Ensign Again Won't Say If He's Been Subpoenaed -- Instead Slams 'Gotcha' Journalism

Zachary Roth | March 25, 2010, 9:31AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) again declined to say whether he's been subpoenaed by the grand jury that's probing his sex-and-lobbying scandal -- and instead took a shot at "gotcha" journalism.

Asked by Politico whether he had been subpoenaed, Ensign instead went on a tirade against the media. "Seeking of the truth should be not only part of the Justice Department and part of our judicial system, but also should be ... a goal of reporters today," said the embattled lawmaker. "Unfortunately, too much of our press is ... (1) biased or (2) just about 'gotcha.'"

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John Ensign

Ominously For Ensign, Probe's Focus Appears To Shift To Possible Quid Pro Quo

Zachary Roth | March 19, 2010, 3:49PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Buried under the pile of details that have emerged in the last 48 hours on the John Ensign investigation is one crucial over-arching development: The federal probe into the matter appears to have expanded, and shifted its focus in a way that may could make it an even graver threat to the Nevada senator than before.

In a nutshell: The Justice Department investigation began as an inquiry into whether Ensign flouted a lobbying ban by trying to help Doug Hampton get a lobbying job after Hampton left Ensign's office, and by directing his staff to work with Hampton once he was set up as a lobbyist. But now, it seems, investigators have also moved beyond Hampton, to consider whether the senator illegally tied legislative favors to contributions to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which he chaired.

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John Ensign

Another NV Firm Subpoenaed In Ensign Probe -- Says Founder Met With Senator To Discuss A Contribution

Zachary Roth | March 19, 2010, 12:41PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

A new Nevada company has surfaced in connection with the widening John Ensign probe.

The Associated Press reports:

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John Ensign

Report: Firms Linked To Possible Ensign Quid Pro Quo Subpoenaed

Zachary Roth | March 18, 2010, 6:41PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

The Las Vegas news station adds more details about who has been contacted by investigators looking into the John Ensign sex-and-lobbying scandal.

Perhaps most significantly, it reports that "[e]xecutives at card companies eCommLink, Selling Source and Pay Card USA have been served by the grand jury."

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John Ensign

NRSC Subpoenaed In Ensign Probe

Zachary Roth | March 18, 2010, 3:02PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has been subpoenaed by the federal grand jury that's investigating the John Ensign sex-and-lobbying scandal, reports Politico.

Federal investigators asked the NRSC for documents relating to the Nevada senator's 2007-08 tenure as chair of the committee.

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John Ensign

Report: Six Businesses Subpoenaed In 'Deadly Serious' Ensign Probe

Zachary Roth | March 18, 2010, 10:04AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

It sounds like the federal grand jury probe of the sex-and-lobbying scandal that ensnared Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) is getting hotter than a Las Vegas parking lot in July.

Two Justice Department investigators came to Sin City last week with subpoenas for six local business, reports a TV news station -- part of what's described as a "wide-ranging and deadly-serious criminal probe."

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John Ensign

GOP Aide On 'Isolated' Ensign: 'I Almost Forget He's Still Here'

Zachary Roth | March 15, 2010, 10:37AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

It sounds like John Ensign's sex and lobbying scandal is taking a toll on the Nevada Republican's effectiveness in the Senate.

One GOP aide told Politico: "Like Vitter, Ensign doesn't get invited to a lot of press conferences because no one wants their boss in a photo op with them." Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) was identified in 2007 as a client of the DC Madam.

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John Ensign

Emails Shed New Light On Ensign's Efforts On Hampton's Behalf

Zachary Roth | March 11, 2010, 9:42AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

The New York Times has obtained email messages that offer new details about the efforts of the Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) to find lobbying work for a former aide, Doug Hampton, after Hampton had left the senator's office in the wake of an affair between Ensign and Hampton's wife, Cindy.

The FBI is investigating whether Ensign broke lobbying rules by trying to steer lobbying work to Hampton, and by directing his staff to maintain contact with the former aide. Ensign has said that he didn't know the work he was seeking for Hampton would involve lobbying Congress.

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John Ensign

Ensign's Payments To Law Firm Spike

Zachary Roth | January 29, 2010, 5:46PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Sen. John Ensign paid nearly $18,000 in the last quarter of 2009 to the law firm where he has retained counsel, Politico reports, based on filings released this afternoon. That compares to just $850 for the previous quarter.

The payments, which came from Ensign's campaign account, constitute further evidence that the federal probe said to be underway into the Nevada senator's sex-and-lobbying scandal may have heated up lately.

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John Ensign

Report: FBI Has Contacted Witnesses On Ensign Matter

Zachary Roth | January 19, 2010, 11:49AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

The FBI has interviewed witnesses in connection with the John Ensign sex-and-lobbying scandal, Politico reports.

"Yes, the FBI has contacted witnesses, in this case, former aides [to Ensign]" one source tells the Beltway site. "We'll see where it leads."

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John Ensign

VIDEO: Ensign Ambushed By CNN On Sex-Lobbying Scandal

Zachary Roth | December 31, 2009, 4:38PM

CNN's Rick Sanchez and Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

CNN's Rick Sanchez just grilled Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) about Ensign's affair with the wife of an aide and his ham-fisted efforts to cover things up.

Ensign came on prepared to keep politicizing the failed terror attacks by using them to attack President Obama. But Sanchez quickly turned the tables by bringing up Ensign's personal woes, leaving the senator visibly surprised.

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John Ensign

Report: Senate's Ensign Probe Heating Up

Zachary Roth | December 4, 2009, 12:35PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Jon Ralston, the Nevada political columnist who has been all over the John Ensign story, reports in his email newsletter that the Senate Ethics probe of the matter is heating up.

Writes Ralston:

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John Ensign

Ensign: Candidates Want Me To Campaign For Them

Zachary Roth | November 30, 2009, 11:32AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) just told a radio interviewer that, despite his personal travails, 2010 candidates are eager for him to campaign with them.

"A lot of people running for office next year, I've met with them, they actually want me involved in their campaigns," Ensign told Alan Stock of Las Vegas's KXNT News Radio. "I'm gonna try to be helpful without being hurtful."

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John Ensign

Ensign Set To Break Silence On Affair

Zachary Roth | November 30, 2009, 10:51AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) is set to break his silence this morning on his affair with the wife of a former top staffer, and the help he provided for the couple once the affair was discovered, which may have involved violating lobbying and campaign-finance rules.

Since admitting to the affair this summer, Ensign has said almost nothing about it. But he'll discuss it at 8am PST, in an interview with Las-Vegas-based News Radio 840 KXNT. We'll be listening, so stay tuned....

John Ensign

Ethics Probers Still Haven't Talked To Hampton On Ensign Matter

Zachary Roth | November 24, 2009, 9:48AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Last night, Nightline aired its full interview with Doug Hampton, about the amazing circumstances surrounding the affair between Hampton's wife Cindy and his former boss, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV).

Some of the best stuff trickled out early, but there are still a few good new nuggets. For instance:

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John Ensign

Hampton: To Hide Affair, Ensign Made Me And Cindy Attend 'Goodbye Party' After Firing Us

Zachary Roth | November 23, 2009, 4:41PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

More nuggets are being reported from Doug Hampton's interview with Nightline, set to air tonight, about Sen. John Ensign's affair with Hampton's wife. And they somehow make the Nevada senator look even worse than he already did, if that's possible.

Politico, which seems to have gotten a look at the full interview, reports:

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John Ensign

Coburn: I Acted As Ensign-Hampton Go-Between

Zachary Roth | November 23, 2009, 10:35AM

Yesterday on ABC News's This Week, there was an exchange between Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and host George Stephanopoulos about Coburn's role as an "intermediary" between Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) and Doug Hampton, the man with whose wife the Nevada senator had an affair. And it's hard to know what to make of it.

From the transcript:

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Doug Hampton

Hampton: 'Crystal Clear' That Ensign Payment Was Severance

Zachary Roth | November 20, 2009, 10:05AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

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.

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John Ensign

Will Ensign Escape Criminal Probe?

Zachary Roth | November 19, 2009, 12:03PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Is the Justice Department leaning towards laying off Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)?

That's the direction in which Politico's reporting seems to point. According to the new site, DOJ officials "signal that the case is a low-priority matter for them." It adds that "no one close to Ensign or the Hamptons has been contacted by any federal investigators." And it notes that the Senate Ethics committee, which usually stands down when Justice is involved, has been forging ahead with its probe of the philandering Nevada senator.

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John Ensign

Criminal Probe Of Ensign Seen As Likely

Zachary Roth | October 14, 2009, 1:40PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Could the worst be still to come for John Ensign?

An expert consensus may be forming that the Justice Department will likely launch a criminal investigation into the philandering Nevada senator and his relationship with Doug and Cynthia Hampton.

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John Ensign

Ensign: I Followed Ethics Laws When I Helped Clients Of Mistress's Husband

Zachary Roth | October 6, 2009, 3:18PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

The John Ensign story is back on the front-burner, thanks to last week's New York Times report that the philandering Nevada senator actively helped Doug Hampton, the husband of his former mistress, get set up as a lobbyist, then acted to benefit Hampton's new clients.

Today brought several new developments:

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John Ensign

Ensign: I'll Cooperate With Ethics Probe Into Help For Mistress's Husband

Zachary Roth | October 5, 2009, 11:18AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Disgraced Nevada senator John Ensign won't fight the ethics investigation into his dealings with a former staffer, in the aftermath of an affair between Ensign and the staffer's wife.

"Sen. Ensign will cooperate with any official inquiry," a spokeswoman for the senator told TPMmuckraker via email.

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