Political Scandal: Republican John Ensign Shows True Character

reporting for the Daily Constitutional: Investigative Journalist GA Anderson

The political scandal of Republican Senator John Ensign (Nevada), wasn't really a big deal compared to some. It wasn't a scandal of greedy corruption and avarice, and it wasn't a scandal that impacted out populous in a major way. But it was a supreme example of a political leader with a true lack of personal character and integrity.

Many would say the two most important personal character traits anyone can have are honesty and integrity, and although we expect many other positive traits for those we select as our leaders, those two are prerequisites, and it turns out former Senator John Ensign lacked both.

John Ensign is now a former senator, but he was a Republican Senator for Nevada from 2000, to May, 2011, when he resigned his seat to avoid an ethics panel prosecution on charges of breaking several Federal laws in his efforts to cover-up an extra-marital affair.

The essence is he cheated on his wife and then tried to use the powers of his elected office to cover it up. Here is the Reader's Digest version: (since prosecution was dropped - these are "alleged" accusations)

1. Ensign initiated an extra-marital affair with the wife of one of his top staffers, Douglas Hampton, in 2006. Testimony indicates the wife acquiesced to his advances out of fear for her and her husband's jobs. (she worked for the Battle Born PAC)
2. The affair was exposed in 2008 and Douglas Hampton confronted Senator Ensign, demanding he end it. Ensign said he would, and since Hampton would obviously be unable to continue to work with Ensign, he (Ensign), would help him start a new career as a political consultant.
3. Ensign then, using the power and prestige of his office, contacted political and corporate supporters in Nevada, seeking work for Hampton. (note: Federal law prohibits ex-political staffers from lobbying the Senate for one year) His efforts resulted in Hampton's employment with political consulting firm in Nevada
4. Hampton testified both he and Ensign were aware of the rule's restrictions - but chose to ignore them.
5. Ensign, and his staff assisted in signing up several of Ensign's corporate supporters as clients for Hampton, and then continued to assist Hampton by acting as middle-man for his Senate and other Federal Agencies contacts in his efforts to lobby for his new clients.
6. In 2008 John Ensign's parents "gifted" the Hampton's with $96,000. Although legally called a gift, (the maximum tax-free amount allowed), Douglas Hampton said it was clearly understood that it was an unreported severance pay package that would be disguised as a gift to avoid Federal and Senate penalties.
7. In 2010 Ensign was investigated by the; FBI, Federal Election Commission, Justice Department, and Senate Ethics Committee. Although several of these investigations were dropped, the Ethics Committee found ample credible evidence of wrong-doing and referred the case back to Justice and the Elections Commission.
8. Ensign resigned his Senate seat in May 2011 to avoid possible Federal prosecution and Senate expulsion.

*a good synopsis of the charges and events timeline is available here at - Wikipedia: Senator John Ensign Scandal

The overview of the scandal details doesn't show the real problem - how easy it is for people we put in positions of trust to collude to betray that trust.

The deeper details involve a cast of characters that included; John Ensign's parents, his wife,several of his corporate sponsors and donors, the owners of the political lobbying group that hired Hampton, and members of his Senatorial staff, Douglas Hampton, and Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma. Everyone of which was involved in an escapade designed to cover-up or facilitate an impropriety of a public official.

Once the affair became known to Doug Hampton, and he confronted Ensign, Senator Coburn entered the picture as an old-time friend of Ensign trying to find a solution. Ensign promised to end the affair, even wrote a letter to Douglas Hampton stating such. But he didn't. Coburn even tried to have the Ensign's buy the home the Hamptons were trying to sell - for a million dollars, but that fell through. Then the Ensign parents kicked in that $96,000 helping-hand money.

Plus, while all this was going on, Doug Hampton was still working for the Nevada lobbying group - and Ensign's senatorial staff, at Ensign's direction, and with full knowledge of the illegality of their efforts still continued to act as unofficial Senate contacts for Doug Hampton's lobbying efforts.

John Ensigns behavior was worthy of prosecution for ethics and Federal law violations, it's a shame the system allows this kind of behavior to escape justice - with just a resignation. And it did show that regardless of outer appearances, his character was not one of honor and integrity -when put to the test, but the real political scandal is that so many in the system were ready, willing, and able to aid and abet behavior that should have been beyond consideration for all of them.

The Ensign scandal just points out that political corruption isn't just the greedy scoundrels enriching themselves at the public's expense - it's also the facilitators, the I'm-an-honest-person people that probably wouldn't consider taking an outright bribe, but are more than willing to allow someone else to.

• GA Anderson - on Politics

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"Seeing it does not make it real, and reading it does not make it true. Use a little common-sense and trust your instincts." - GAA