John Ensign

Nevada GOP Rep: Ensign Should Answer Questions About Affair

Zachary Roth | August 13, 2009, 12:34PM

The pressure is growing for John Ensign to break his silence over his affair with a staffer who was his close friend's wife.

Rep. Dean Heller has become the first high-ranking Nevada Republican to call for the senator to address the numerous unanswered question about his torrid liaison with Cindy Hampton. Speaking in a televised interview to Las Vegas Sun political columnist Jon Ralston -- who has led the way in keeping the story in the spotlight -- Heller said: "I don't want to speculate, but until John talks, we haven't seen the end of it."

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John Ensign

WaPo Wants Senate And FEC To Probe Ensign Scandal

Zachary Roth | July 13, 2009, 5:30PM

The drip-drip of the John Ensign sex scandal continues...

Today the Washington Post editorial board calls, in its well-mannered way, for investigations by the Senate Ethnics committee and the Federal Election Committee into the payments, totaling $96,000, that, according to a statement from Ensign's lawyer, were made last year by the Nevada senator's parents to the Hampton family.

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Tom Coburn

Coburn On Hampton Claims: "Ask What's the Motivation Here"

Zachary Roth | July 9, 2009, 3:05PM

It looks like when Tom Coburn denied today that he urged his friend John Ensign to pay restitution to the family of the woman he had an affair with, the Oklahoma senator wasn't speaking just to Roll Call (sub. req.). Rather, in a sign of the potential trouble the story could represent for Coburn, he appears to have given an impromptu press conference, in what's likely to be a failed effort to nip it in the bud.

Politico reports that, along with his denial, Coburn had some choice words for Doug Hampton.

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John Ensign

CREW Wants Ethics Probe Of Ensign Affair

Zachary Roth | June 23, 2009, 12:09PM

Could John Ensign face a Senate probe into the events surrounding his affair with a former staffer?

The government watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has said it will file a complaint about the philandering Nevada lawmaker with the Senate Ethics committee, centering on whether either Cynthia Hampton or her husband Doug lost their jobs with Ensign because of the affair. Doug Hampton wrote in a letter to Fox News that the affair "led to our dismissal in April of 2008."

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Roland Burris

Burris' Day: Two Perjury Probes, and Calls For Resignation

Zachary Roth | February 18, 2009, 8:53AM

Yesterday was not a good day for Roland Burris.

First, he admitted that, contradicting the impression he had left over the weekend, he had tried to raise money for Rod Blagojevich after a conversation with the then-governor's brother. (That acknowledgement came on the heels of an affidavit Burris filed earlier this month which itself contradicted his sworn testimony to the legislature about conversations with Blagojevich's circle.)

Then, we learned that two investigations have been launched into the new senator's shifting explanations. One is described by the Chicago Tribune as "a perjury review," being conducted by John Schmidt, the local prosecutor in Springfield, and a Republican. Schmidt said he was acting on a request from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

And the Senate ethics committee opened its own probe into the perjury question yesterday, The Hill confirmed.

Then late last night, the Tribune and the Washington Post went live with editorials calling on Burris to resign.

Like we said, not a good day.

Norm Coleman

Coleman's Office Won't Say Whether He's Under Investigation In Kazeminy Case

Zachary Roth | December 5, 2008, 3:32PM

Is Norm Coleman under investigation in connection with the claims made in a lawsuit alleging that a longtime supporter, Nasser Kazeminy, used an insurance company that employs Coleman's wife to illegally pass money to Coleman?

Could be...

Last month, a Minnesota good-government group sent letters to the FBI and the Senate ethics committee, calling on both to investigate the charges. Coleman quickly responded by declaring in a statement:

I not only welcome such an investigation, but I am eager to have it move forward immediately.

That forthright response made us wonder whether Coleman -- who currently is locked in a knife-edge recount with Democrat Al Franken to hold onto his Senate seat -- might already have been contacted by investigators, and was trying to get out ahead of the news by appearing to welcome a probe.

Both the FBI and the ethics committee have declined to provide any information about whether they're looking into Coleman.

So we've been calling Coleman's office to ask whether he's heard from investigators. In fact, in the last few weeks, we've left at least ten detailed voicemail messages for Leroy Coleman, the senator's Washington press secretary (and no relation) asking exactly that question. And we've received no response whatsoever.

Which is sort of curious. You'd assume that, had Coleman not been contacted, his press secretary would take 30 seconds to call us back and tell us that.

Draw your own conclusions...

Norm Coleman

Coleman's NRSC Decision Benefits Ethics Chair -- Who Could Head Coleman Probe

Zachary Roth | November 14, 2008, 5:21PM

A good catch by The Huffington Post yesterday, in response to the news that Norm Coleman is dropping out of the race for chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) to focus on the Minnesota recount -- and is throwing his support behind John Cornyn, who will almost certainly now win the post.

HuffPo notes that Cornyn, of Texas, is also currently the GOP chair of the Senate Ethics Committee - the body that could well investigate whether Coleman accepted gifts from his longtime supporter Nasser Kazeminy.

Earlier this week, the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a good-government group that ran anti-Coleman ads during the election, publicly called on the Ethics Committee, as well as the FBI, to look into sworn allegations, made in a lawsuit, that Kazeminy passed $75,000 to Coleman by having one of Kazeminy's companies make payments to an insurance brokerage that employs Laurie Coleman, the senator's wife.

So Coleman's decision to drop out of the NRSC race directly benefits one of the people who will have the most influence over the direction of any investigation by the Ethics Committee.

Coleman's Senate office has not responded to numerous requests from TPMmuckraker to comment on whether he has already been contacted by investigators.

But there's another wrinkle beyond HuffPo's catch: But for the GOP chair of the supposedly non-partisan Ethics Commitee to also serve as head of the NRSC -- an explicitly political post -- might appear to present a conflict of interest.

Cornyn's office did not immediately respond to a call from TPMmuckraker asking whether Cornyn intended to serve in both roles at once.

Norm Coleman

Taking Stock Of The Coleman-Kazeminy Charges

Zachary Roth | November 13, 2008, 1:46PM

As Norm Coleman gets set for a recount in his bid to hold onto his Minnesota Senate seat, it's worth considering where things stand on the allegations that surfaced in the waning days of the campaign about Coleman's relationship with his friend and longtime associate, the businessman Nasser Kazeminy.

Here's what we know:

Late last month, in a suit filed in Texas, Paul McKim, the former CEO of Deep Marine Technologies (DMT), alleged in a sworn statement that Kazeminy -- who owns DMT -- directed him to make payments totaling $75,000 to the Hays Companies, a Minnesota insurance brokerage that employs Coleman's wife Laurie Coleman. The payments, claimed McKim in the suit, were not for legitimate work performed by Hays for DMT, but rather were a way for Kazeminy to funnel money to Coleman.

Soon afterwards, a group of DMT investors filed a separate suit naming both Kazeminy and McKim as defendants, and making similar allegations.

Since news of the suits surfaced in late October, none of the principals has offered responses that have put the matter to rest.

Coleman has vehemently denied the charges, and even cut a last-minute TV ad suggesting, with little evidence, that the campaign of his opponent, Democrat Al Franken, was behind them. And yesterday, when a progressive Minnesota watchdog group that ran ads attacking Coleman during the campaign held a press conference at which it called for investigations by the FBI and the Senate Ethics Committee into the matter, Coleman quickly said in a statement that he would welcome such probes, and that he wanted them to start "immediately." (Coleman's Senate office did not immediately respond to a detailed message from TPMmuckraker asking whether he has already been contacted by investigators.)

But neither Norm Coleman nor Laurie Coleman have offered details on the nature of her work for Hays.

Neither has Hays. Soon after news of the allegations broke, the company put out a statement calling the charges "libelous and defamatory." It said that Laurie Coleman "has been an Independent Contractor for Hays Companies since 2006," but offered no further detail on what she does for the company, beyond saying that she "receives no compensation related to the services we provide for our client Deep Marine Technology."

What are those services? Again, the statement was vague, saying only: "In the first half of 2007, we were retained to provide our risk management consulting services, and that work continues at this time."

As for Kazeminy, after initially remaning silent, he eventually hired a top Minneapolis-based crisis management expert, who late last week issued a tautological denial on his behalf: "Mr. Kazeminy vehemently denies the false and baseless claims made against him in recent weeks."

It's also worth noting that Norm Coleman and the Hays Companies may not have been on the same page about the arrangement between the firm and Laurie Coleman - a former model and actress who, according to state records examined by TPMmuckraker, only received her insurance license in October 2006. As we reported earlier this week, Norm Coleman wrote on his Senate disclosure forms for 2006 and 2007 that Laurie Coleman receives a salary from Hays - which would appear to contradict Hays' assertion that she's an independent contractor.

And according to FEC records examined by TPMmuckraker, Hays has been a frequent financial contributor to Coleman's Senate campaigns.

We may have to wait for possible law-enforcement or congressional investigations to get to the truth about Coleman's role in the alleged scheme. But it's certain that, barring any compelling explanations from any of the principals said to be involved, questions about the affair won't be going away any time soon.

Norm Coleman

Good Government Group Calls On FBI, Senate, To Probe Coleman

Zachary Roth | November 12, 2008, 12:19PM

A Minnesota good government group that works with Democrats and progressives has called on both the Senate Ethics Committee and the local FBI office to investigate allegations that GOP senator Norm Coleman accepted $75,000 in gifts from a friend and supporter.

Alliance for a Better Minnesota (ABM) is also circulating a petition to demonstrate public support for the desired probes. It will release letters to the FBI and the Senate Ethics Committee at a press conference this afternoon at the state capitol.

The claims against Coleman were made in a lawsuit filed last month against Nasser Kazeminy, a close associate of the senator. The suit, filed by the former CEO of the Kazeminy-owned Deep Marine Technology, alleges that Kazeminy passed money to Coleman's wife, Laurie Coleman, by ordering Deep Marine to make payments to the Hays Companies, an insurance broker that employed her. Kazeminy and Coleman have denied the claims, and Coleman has not been formally charged with any wrong-doing.

A press release announcing Alliance for a Better Minnesota's effort was forwarded to TPMmuckraker by the communications office of Minnesota's Democratic party.

Coleman faces a recount in his high-profile Senate re-election fight against Democrat Al Franken.

Late update: Here are the letters sent by ABM to the FBI and the Senate Ethics Committee.

And here's a response from Coleman to ABM's move.