This is excellent news for conservatives:
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.
I wonder how much free time the FBI would have if it didn’t have to spend so much manpower investigating politicians?
Napoleon
Of course the press will ignore this and talk about how Massa tickles people.
geg6
Well, missing emails seem to be biting a lot of people in the ass lately:
dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/3/10/844757/-Today-begins-the-end-of-Sheriff-Arpaio-in-Arizona-Update-1
I’d love to see this fucker go down.
The Populist
Time for an ethics investigation. Fuck Ensign and anybody who defends this crook.
I think Rangel is scum as well and was glad to see he “stepped down” for now. I hope the dems refuse to put him back in his committee post when he tries to go back. If the dems can show this commitment to going after anybody (regardless of party) who is unethical or has broken laws in congress, it goes a long way to neutering the tea party bullshit that gets spread in the news.
Who wants to bet that the news barely mentions this news?
MattF
The media has a very short memory for right-wing misbehavior, and a limitless memory for everyone else. You’ll get a story about Ensign’s misbehavior, but the dots don’t get connected. On the other hand, needless to say, ‘Travelgate’, ‘Fundgate’, etc. are never forgotten, despite any actual lack of evidence, judicial proceedings, or whatever.
Dave C
The title of this post is fucking awesome. Well done, John–you’re verging on DougJ levels of song-reference-cleverness!
geg6
@MattF:
Well, I did see Katie Couric mentioning that all charges in Travelgate were finally dropped the other day. I, actually, had no idea that the case was still an open one. So I’m glad that at least Katie found a way to mention that a bogus investigation from almost 20 years ago was finally dropped.
Andrew
I don’t comment much any more, but that title is 100% pure win.
Geeno
@geg6:
Are you kidding? They went after Henry Cisneros for 10 years AFTER he confessed and paid fines and damages for what they were investigating.
GregB
It is interesting how the Democrats generally kick their corrupt members to the curb quickly and how the GOP circles the wagons around their compromised members. Unless that member of the GOP is teh gay and then they get the insta shun.
ellaesther
Wow. Now there’s a depressing thought.
Persia
@Napoleon: It’s sounding like Massa was way out of line. Let’s bitch about them both!
feebog
How has this guy managed to stay afloat? I gotta agree with The Populist; Democrats in this situation at least usually do the right thing and resign (see Governers, New York and New Jersy), while Republicans almost always manage to skate by (see Governer, So. Carolina and this douchebag). Ah the party of Family Values, always policing their own.
Dweeze
Delurking to say that may be the finest headline ever used on a post here.
blogasita
This has nothing to do with the facts of the case, but when is someone going to confront either Ensign or this Hampton guy about a fact that seems obvious to me: They were obviously in a three-way consensual relationship. I believe the old fashion term is wife-swapping (although I don’t want to imply Mrs. Ensign was involved. Haven’t heard anything like that). Now-a-days it’s polyamorous, or something. No way would Ensign have gone through all this influence peddling just for having an affair. He would have just confessed his sins and gone on. Republicans love that stuff, anyway. No, this was way more than that. This was love, long-term friendships, and I’m sure, some VERY incriminating long-term evidence. Actually, I think there may be a good novel here somewhere. Or maybe a porno movie, not sure which.