by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright July 9, 2009
All Rights Reserved.

           Paying his mistress $96,000 in hush money, Sen. John Ensign’s (R-Nev.) life got more complicated, doing back-flips to explain thousands of unanswered dollars to keep his year-long affair under the table.  Ensign claimed he had his family pay Cindy and Doug Hampton’s family “out of concern for the well-being of longtime family friends during a difficult time,” admitting he paid the Hamptons generously to make the career-ending peccadillo go away.  Paying off the Hamptons was egregious malfeasance, not, as Ensign suggests, as an attempt to help some struggling friends. Despite his abuse of power, Ensign has refused to resign, hoping the controversy would eventually die out.  New revelations about the extent of payments can only be interpreted as hush money, designed to minimize damage of Esign’s career.  Whether it’s technically legal or not, it’s totally unacceptable.

            Ensign’s Dallas-based attorney Paul Coggins was out in front of the damage control, spinning the payment as entirely kosher.  “None of the gifts came from campaign or official funds, nor were they related to any campaign or official duties,” said Coggins, excusing the transfer of funds from Ensign’s multimillionaire Casino-mogul parents to the Hamptons.  “Sen. Ensign has complied with all applicable laws and Senate ethics rules,” excusing the conspicuous abuse of power.  Whether or not Ensign’s payments violate Senate ethics rules, federal or state laws, says nothing about his deplorable judgment having an affair with his employee’s wife while they’re both on the payroll.  No U.S. senator setting such a horrific example should stay in elective office.  His decision to hang onto office disgraces the Republican Party at a time when the GOP struggles for survival.

            Esign’s misdeeds add to humiliation of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, whose well-publicized affair with his Argentine mistress gave the GOP another black eye.  Looking the other way, Senate Republicans and officials at the Republican National Committee haven’t taken responsibility for serious ethical breaches, whether or not Ensign’s “gift-giving” was legal.  “The gifts are consistent with pattern of generosity by the Esnign family to the Hamptons and others,” said Coggisns.  “The payments were made as gifts, accepted as gifts and complied with tax-rules governing gifts,” pretending egregious conflicts-of-interests don’t exist.  When the affair first broke in late June, Ensign accused Doug Hampton of blackmail and extortion.  Coggins excuses now indicate that family generosity, not blackmail, prompted Ensign’s family to pay out large sums of cash.

            Ensign’s shenanigans warrant immediate suspension and ejection from the U.S. senate.  Partisanship aside, no Nevada citizen should tolerate for one minute an elective official so selfish and self-absorbed playing around on the state’s time-clock.  Everyone makes mistakes but Ensign’s conflicts-of-interests go beyond anything expected of elected officials.  His attorney’s feeble attempt to divert attention away from Ensign’s abysmal judgment insults the intelligence of any rational voter.  Paying off Cindy and her husband was a cynical attempt to silence them from going public with the most in-you-face abuse of public trust in recent memory.  “This is a grievous act,” Doug Hamptom told local talk show “Face to Face” with host Jon Raiston.  Hampton, whose wife Cindy began a conspicuous affair with Ensign in 2007, seeks any chance to retaliate for the humiliation.

            Whether admitted to or not, there’s something quite peculiar about the Hampton’s relationship with the Ensigns.  Friends for decades, both wives, Cindy and Darlene, went to high school together, and both families live within walking distance in adjacent gated Las Vegas communities.  While Doug Hampton insisted that Ensign pursued his wife aggressively, it’s likely the feelings were mutual.  Apart from his affiliation with religious conservatives in D.C., Ensign’s real infraction involved not the affair but paying Cindy $96,000, according to his attorney, as a humanitarian gesture.  Ensign and his attorney can’t have it both ways:  Claiming, on the one hand, he was blackmailed and, on the other, charitable motives.  Whatever his attorney’s excuses, Ensign must accept responsibility for his own behavior, damaging the GOP and provide the only reasonable remedy, resigning his senate seat.

            Ensign’s done enough damage to potentially lose six additional GOP seats in next year’s midterm elections.  Stubbornly hanging on adds salt to the wounds and displays a kind of ruthless narcissism dragging down the Party.  Months before Ensign’s affair hit the headlines, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) tried to persuade him to break it off, help the Hamptons pay off their home and relocate to Colorado.  Maybe Coburn should have recommended a plastic surgeon to change their fingerprints or identities.  “I was doing that as a counselor, as both a physician and an ordained minister,” said Coburn, denying he urged paying off the Hamptoms.  Coburn’s best advice to Ensign should be to resign at the earliest possible time.  Ensign joins a growing list of GOP elected officials and lobbyists making the strongest possible case for keeping Republicans out of power for the indefinite future.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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