Senator Ensign (Nevada GOP), facing ethics probe, says he'll resign

Started by jimmy olsen, April 21, 2011, 08:03:25 PM

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jimmy olsen

April 21, 2011, 08:03:25 PM
 :hmm:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42711091/ns/politics-capitol_hill/

QuoteNevada senator, facing ethics probe, says he'll resign
Republican Ensign admitted having an affair with wife of one of his aides

WASHINGTON — Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, facing an ethics investigation over his affair with a former campaign aide, announced Thursday that he would resign his seat effective May 3.

Ensign said in a statement that he would send Vice President Joe Biden a letter Friday making the resignation official.

The 52-year-old Republican announced in March that he would not pursue re-election. He acknowledged in June 2009 that he had an extramarital affair with Cynthia Hampton, a former member of his campaign staff, and that he had helped her husband, Doug Hampton, a member of his congressional staff, obtain lobbying work with a Nevada company.

The ethics investigation focuses in part on some $96,000 Ensign's parents gave to the Hamptons, which Ensign's attorney has characterized as a gift.

The Justice Department and the Federal Election Commission investigated, then dropped the cases with little explanation. The Senate ethics panel, however, named a special counsel to look into the matter.

Through it all, Ensign insisted he would seek re-election until his announcement in March, when he reiterated that he had not violated any laws or ethics rules. He also said at the time the investigation did not influence his decision to retire from politics after 2012.

But in his resignation notice Thursday, Ensign said the appointment of the special counsel shook him because he had hoped the investigation would end with the Justice Department.

"While I stand behind my firm belief that I have not violated any law, rule, or standard of conduct of the Senate, and I have fought to prove this publicly, I will not continue to subject my family, my constituents, or the Senate to any further rounds of investigation, depositions, drawn out proceedings, or especially public hearings," the statement said. "For my family and me, this continued personal cost is simply too great."

KSNV-TV said political analyst Jon Ralston quoted sources as saying Gov. Brian Sandoval would likely appoint Republican Rep. Dean Heller to fill the seat until an election can be held.

Heller had already announced that he would run for the seat. He has represented Nevada's 2nd Congressional District since 2007.

The appointment would give him a boost in the race. Democratic Congresswoman Shelley Berkley and Democratic lawyer Byron Georgiou are also seeking the Senate seat.

Nevada remains a top target for Democrats trying to protect their fragile majority in the Senate, said Guy Cecil, executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Ensign was the third Senate Republican to decide not to seek re-election, following Assistant Senate Republican Leader Jon Kyl of Arizona and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas.

This article contains reporting from NBC News, The Associated Press and Reuters.
It is far better for the truth to tear my flesh to pieces, then for my soul to wander through darkness in eternal damnation.

Jet: So what kind of woman is she? What's Julia like?
Faye: Ordinary. The kind of beautiful, dangerous ordinary that you just can't leave alone.
Jet: I see.
Faye: Like an angel from the underworld. Or a devil from Paradise.
--------------------------------------------
1 Karma Chameleon point

Razgovory

#1
April 21, 2011, 08:05:37 PM
What's so hard for you to understand?
I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017

jimmy olsen

#2
April 21, 2011, 08:06:46 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on April 21, 2011, 08:05:37 PM
What's so hard for you to understand?

I posted  :hmm: not :unsure:
It is far better for the truth to tear my flesh to pieces, then for my soul to wander through darkness in eternal damnation.

Jet: So what kind of woman is she? What's Julia like?
Faye: Ordinary. The kind of beautiful, dangerous ordinary that you just can't leave alone.
Jet: I see.
Faye: Like an angel from the underworld. Or a devil from Paradise.
--------------------------------------------
1 Karma Chameleon point

Razgovory

#4
April 21, 2011, 08:08:07 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on April 21, 2011, 08:07:18 PM
Maybe his chin is itchy Raz.

Do we have a emoticon for when your balls itch?
I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017

DGuller

#5
April 21, 2011, 08:09:00 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on April 21, 2011, 08:07:18 PM
Maybe his chin is itchy Raz.
Shaving there should take care of that for a couple of months.

Valmy

#6
April 21, 2011, 08:12:50 PM
Do these people ever resign for things that actually have anything to do with their jobs.  Like being corrupt or something?  Ah well at least there was shush money involved.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Viking

#7
April 21, 2011, 08:14:02 PM
Why no Sen. Kyl thread? (this question is not intended to be a factual statement)
First Maxim - "There are only two amounts, too few and enough."
First Corollary - "You cannot have too many soldiers, only too few supplies."
Second Maxim - "Be willing to exchange a bad idea for a good one."
Second Corollary - "You can only be wrong or agree with me."

A terrorist which starts a slaughter quoting Locke, Burke and Mill has completely missed the point.
The fact remains that the only person or group to applaud the Norway massacre are random Islamists.

Admiral Yi

#8
April 21, 2011, 08:22:32 PM
Quote from: Viking on April 21, 2011, 08:14:02 PM
Why no Sen. Kyl thread? (this question is not intended to be a factual statement)

:unsure:

MadImmortalMan

#9
April 21, 2011, 09:22:05 PM
Shit. Shelley Berkley had a great chance against Heller in 2012 but not now. Heller will be the incumbent. The GOP will hold the seat.
"Stability is destabilizing." --Hyman Minsky

"Complacency can be a self-denying prophecy."
"We have nothing to fear but lack of fear itself." --Larry Summers

Razgovory

#10
April 21, 2011, 09:40:20 PM
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on April 21, 2011, 09:22:05 PM
Shit. Shelley Berkley had a great chance against Heller in 2012 but not now. Heller will be the incumbent. The GOP will hold the seat.

Well at least Sharon Angle won't run for it.
I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017

MadImmortalMan

#11
April 21, 2011, 09:45:33 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on April 21, 2011, 09:40:20 PM
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on April 21, 2011, 09:22:05 PM
Shit. Shelley Berkley had a great chance against Heller in 2012 but not now. Heller will be the incumbent. The GOP will hold the seat.

Well at least Sharon Angle won't run for it.

:lol:


Well, she's already planning to run for the House seat Heller has now.
"Stability is destabilizing." --Hyman Minsky

"Complacency can be a self-denying prophecy."
"We have nothing to fear but lack of fear itself." --Larry Summers

The Brain

#12
April 22, 2011, 03:19:46 AM
As long as you're facing the probe you should be safe. :hmm:
Women want me. Men want to be with me.

Eddie Teach

#13
April 22, 2011, 03:37:00 AM
Unless they administer the probe orally.
To sleep, perchance to dream. But in that sleep of death, what dreams may come?

The Brain

#14
April 22, 2011, 03:45:59 AM
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on April 22, 2011, 03:37:00 AM
Unless they administer the probe orally.

Have you ever been probed orally? No biggie.
Women want me. Men want to be with me.
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