E-Mail Trail Leads to Trouble for Sen. Ensign

[babylonsister]

:nopity:

More Messages Link Senator to Job Effort

By ERIC LICHTBLAU and ERIC LIPTON
Published: March 10, 2010


WASHINGTON — Previously undisclosed e-mail messages turned over to the F.B.I. and Senate ethics investigators provide new evidence about Senator John Ensign’s efforts to steer lobbying work to the embittered husband of his former mistress and could deepen his legal and political troubles.

Mr. Ensign, Republican of Nevada, suggested that a Las Vegas development firm hire the husband, Douglas Hampton, after it had sought the senator’s help on several energy projects in 2008, according to e-mail messages and interviews with company executives.

The messages are the first written records from Mr. Ensign documenting his efforts to find clients for Mr. Hampton, a top aide and close friend, after the senator had an affair with his wife, Cynthia Hampton. They appear to undercut the senator’s assertion that he did not know the work might involve Congressional lobbying, which could violate a federal ban on such activities by staff members for a year after leaving government.

The e-mail messages also hint at what Mr. Ensign’s office now says was an effort by the Las Vegas firm, a small energy investment business called P2SA Equity, to improperly link Mr. Ensign’s possible assistance to a promised donation.

The F.B.I. and the Senate Ethics Committee are investigating whether Mr. Ensign, in trying to contain the fallout from his affair with Ms. Hampton, conspired to find lobbying work for her husband despite the federal restrictions. They are also examining a $96,000 payment Mr. Ensign’s parents made to the Hamptons.


more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/us/politics/11inquire.html?hp

[KharmaTrain]

1. And Nary A Peep From The Corporate Media...

I could care less that this cad doodled his "associate's" wife...that's their personal business, but looks like it was our dime that paid for the cover-up that's still going on. Yet our corporate media is all a-flutter about Massa or any Democrat who they can tatoo as being "immoral" or "strange" or whatever. Meanwhile, the GOOP is loaded with hypocrites who waved their crosses and screamed "family values", yet when its one of theirs who is caught, then it's downplayed or laughed off with no reprocussions. Ironic, it's Reid whose the Nevada Senator in trouble...not this shitbox. Here's hoping for an indictment and that all the dirt in this ugly story, including Ensign's C-Street connections, need to come forward...in a court of law!

[karynnj]

3. The corporate media - this IS the NYT reporting it

What is clear is that many of the things he is accused of go beyond what John Edwards is accused of. Here, it is pretty clear that Ensign's election campaign greatly increased her salary. That would be similar to the Edwards charges (I think). Now beyond this, the question is where there was a quid por quo with the energy company. All in addition to him helping his former aide get work as a lobbyist, which was against the law. But, it may be that the ethics committee is investigating and they are doing a through job - which is what should be done.

As to Massa, his problems with the media are his own doing. Having given the reason of cancer, he could have quietly left - and though there were suggestions of a harassment charge, I assume within a week no one would have heard anything about him.

[ellenfl]

2. has he resigned yet? eom