Sen. Ensign ethics case referred to DOJ

[The Mad Moderate]

http://ethics.senate.gov/downloads/pdff ... 051211.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/1 ... 61202.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (I know I know its the huffpost but only other link I could find.)


Looks like this is the shoe he was expecting to drop when he resigned early after vowing to serve out his term.

Side note: can't we just let stuff like this go, infidelity should be between him, his wife, and her divorce attorney

[Teamless]

and her divorce attorney

[RottenApple]

Side note: can't we just let stuff like this go, infidelity should be between him, his wife, and her divorce attorney

His affair *IS* between "him, his wife, and her divorce attorney". The charges have nothing to do with him being unfaithful to his wife. They have everything to do with him allegedly breaking the law in order to cover up his affair. From your own posted article:

the Ethics Committee accused Ensign of breaking the law to cover up an affair

The Ethics Committee found that Ensign attempted to obscure a lobbying law that prohibits former aides, like Hampton, from lobbying their former bosses within a year of leaving work as a staffer. It also found evidence that the former senator made false statements to the Federal Election Commission and violated campaign finance laws,

[jmra]

I guess character is just not important to people anymore. I would say that lack of character has a lot to do with why this country is in the mess it is in.

[The Mad Moderate]

Side note: can't we just let stuff like this go, infidelity should be between him, his wife, and her divorce attorney

His affair *IS* between "him, his wife, and her divorce attorney". The charges have nothing to do with him being unfaithful to his wife. They have everything to do with him allegedly breaking the law in order to cover up his affair. From your own posted article:

the Ethics Committee accused Ensign of breaking the law to cover up an affair

The Ethics Committee found that Ensign attempted to obscure a lobbying law that prohibits former aides, like Hampton, from lobbying their former bosses within a year of leaving work as a staffer. It also found evidence that the former senator made false statements to the Federal Election Commission and violated campaign finance laws,

I think a better way to put that would of been, the cover up (lying ETC.)is worse than the crime (infidelity)

[RottenApple]

I think a better way to put that would of been, the cover up (lying ETC.)is worse than the crime (infidelity)

Last time I checked: 1) Infidelity wasn't a crime (unless you're in the military) and 2) he isn't being charged with infidelity (probably since it's not a crime!). How is this not crystal clear?

Just curious, but are you one of those liberals that thinks that Clinton was impeached for having an affair?

[The Mad Moderate]

I think a better way to put that would of been, the cover up (lying ETC.)is worse than the crime (infidelity)

Last time I checked: 1) Infidelity wasn't a crime (unless you're in the military) and 2) he isn't being charged with infidelity (probably since it's not a crime!). How is this not crystal clear?

Just curious, but are you one of those liberals that thinks that Clinton was impeached for having an affair?

I was referring to the saying "the cover-up is worse than the crime" referring to the fact if he had left it at only an affair he would be fine but it is the attempted cover-up that is going to hang him.

[RottenApple]

Just curious, but are you one of those liberals that thinks that Clinton was impeached for having an affair?

I was referring to the saying "the cover-up is worse than the crime" referring to the fact if he had left it at only an affair he would be fine but it is the attempted cover-up that is going to hang him.[/quote]

Gotcha. My apologies then. I misread your comment.

[atticus]

It serves the interests of this Democratic administration to investigate / prosecute Ensign, so that in the 2012 campaign Obama and the Dems can point to yet another corrupt Republican. And they wonder why we're cynical.

[The Mad Moderate]

It serves the interests of this Democratic administration to investigate / prosecute Ensign, so that in the 2012 campaign Obama and the Dems can point to yet another corrupt Republican. And they wonder why we're cynical.

Yea it has nothing to do with the fraud he committed or the laws he violated, this was all because there is a democrat in the white house, thats it. I'm glad you cleared that up. Don't try to push his personal failings on someone else he did this to himself. And it wasn't the administration who investigated it it was the Senate ethics committee, Obama had noting to do with it.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Senator Ensign wrote a check for $96,000 to the couple, who both worked for him, as hush money.

So far Senator Ensign has not been indicted, but the government is going after the husband
of the woman with whom he had the affair. Ensign used his influence to get the husband a
lobbying job without the husband's waiting the mandatory 1 year's absence from his previous position.

Another Senator who may be ensnared in legal problems is Tom Coburn, of Oklahoma.
He was the go-between between the wronged couple and his friend Senator Ensign.

The couple initially asked for something like $1 million in hush money, and eventually they
agreed to $96,000. Coburn was the middleman in this process.

SIA

[atticus]

You really want to argue that there's no correlation between the party affiliation of the administration and investigations or prosecutions of their political enemies? Not a winning hand. And how does the Ensign investigation / prosecution NOT serve the interests of the democrats? If the matter has been referred to the justice dept., then the Obama administration does indeed have something to do with it.

[The Mad Moderate]

You really want to argue that there's no correlation between the party affiliation of the administration and investigations or prosecutions of their political enemies? Not a winning hand.

So you're blaming his crimes and his marital indiscretions on Obama? Thats a good one.

[atticus]

You're missing something in your argument. Where did I say the administration has anything to do with his misdeeds? Nowhere. You're adding your own editorial comments, but missing the point. Cute smilies there, though. I like them. You're good at this, really. Thanks for the nice flame to start the day.

[The Mad Moderate]

You're missing something in your argument. Where did I say the administration has anything to do with his misdeeds? Nowhere. You're adding your own editorial comments, but missing the point. Cute smilies there, though. I like them. You're good at this, really. Thanks for the nice flame to start the day.

Politics is a game, look how many "investigations" the new republican house is starting it does not matter who is in charge or what party you belong to if you do stuff like this you are going to be exposed, shamed, and in Senator Ensigns case charged for a cover-up. If you don't give them any rope they can't hang you. And to suggest this was exposed by some nixionian plot to spy on republicans by the Obama administration is ridiculous. He was exposed by his own actions.