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

Countrywide

Issa Issues Broad Countrywide VIP Loan Subpoena

Susan Crabtree | February 16, 2011, 7:04PM

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, expanded a prior investigation into the Countrywide Financial Corporation's infamous VIP loan program by issuing a wide-ranging subpoena aimed at exposing more information about the mortgage giant's efforts to win friends and influence people at the highest levels of government.

Issa's subpoena, announced Wednesday night, was sent to Bank of America, which purchased Countrywide just before the height of the economic crisis. The subpoena asks for all documents and requests related to Countrywide's VIP program, which implicated Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) and former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), the then-chairman of the Banking Committee.

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Topics: Chris Dodd, Countrywide, Darrell Issa, Edolphus Towns, House Oversight, House Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives , Kent Conrad, Senate Banking Committee, Senators

Ted Stevens

Feds Says More To Come From Ted Stevens FBI File

Ryan J. Reilly | February 16, 2011, 11:45AM

The release last week of the FBI file of the late Sen. Ted Stevens painted a colorful portrait of the long serving Alaska Republican. But noticeably absent from the file were documents from the federal corruption investigation that ended his political career. Not to worry -- the FBI says that part of the file is still in processing and will be released down the line.

An FBI spokesman told the Associated Press that the investigative files were still pending. The news service said it wasn't clear when the new investigative files would be released.

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Topics: Alaska, China, Drugs, FBI, Senators, Ted Stevens