Commissioners ignored Ensign report

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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46637.html

Federal Election Committee commissioners ignored advice from the FEC’s general counsel office when they cleared Sen. John Ensign in November of allegations that he violated campaign finance law in funneling $96,000 to his former mistress and staffer through his parents.

According to documents released today, the FEC’s non-partisan office found in March that there was "reason to believe that at least part of the $96,000 transfer was a severance payment to Ms. Hampton, and thus was an excessive contribution from Michael and Sharon Ensign," the senator's parents. The report recommended further inquiry into the matter, including the use of subpoena power.

The original complaint was submitted by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which accused the Ensigns of making a severance payment to the Cynthia Hampton and her husband, Doug Hampton, in April 2008, shortly after the senator and the former campaign treasurer admitted to their families they were having an extramarital affair. Both Cindy Hampton and her husband Doug, a top staffer in Ensign's Senate office, left the office in the midst of the affair.

"This further demonstrates what a useless organization the FEC is," CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan told POLITICO, adding that incoming House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) should investigate the agency if he is really serious about reform. "There was no doubt that payment was severance, and clearly the general counsel agreed. I'd like to know what happened to the rest of the investigation."

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1. Ensign walks thanks to the IOKIYAR exception to every rule

It's okay if you're a Republican! That's why Charles Rangel gets censured while Jon Ensign skates. I'm sure, however, that Melanie Sloan is being ironic to the max when she says that Darrell "Crybaby" Issa should check into what happened to cause the committee to ignore its own general counsel's report. Because there's no way in hell that will be investigated, even by accident.