GOP 2012 hopeful Sen. Ensign admits extramarital affair
Published: June 16, 2009
Updated 5 months ago
Updates (at bottom): Ensign giving up leadership post; Maddow slams Ensign for hypocrisy on adultery
Nevada Republican Senator John Ensign, considered a possible contender for the GOP’s presidential ticket in 2012, has confessed to an extramarital affair.
“The affair took place between December 2007 and August 2008 with a campaign staffer who was married to an employee in Ensign’s Senate office,” reported the Associated Press, citing an anonymous aide in Ensign’s office. “Neither have worked for the senator since May 2008.”
“I know that I have deeply hurt and disappointed my wife, my children, my family, my friends, my staff and the people of Nevada who believed in me not just as a legislator but as a person,” reads a prepared statement from the senator.
His wife, Darlene, added in a separate statement: “Since we found out last year we have worked through the situation and we have come to a reconciliation. This has been difficult on both families. With the help of our family and close friends our marriage has become stronger,”
Sen. Ensign, who currently serves on the Senate Republican Policy Committee, voted in the House to impeach President Bill Clinton over his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinski and repeatedly called for the former president’s resignation.
Sen. Ensign was also one of the loudest critics of former Sen. Larry Craig (R-Id.), calling for his resignation after he was famously arrested for gay sex in an airport bathroom. At the same time, Sen. Ensign defended Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), whose telephone number turned up in the databases of the Washington, D.C. “madam’s” prostitution ring.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said at the time that Ensign’s criticism exhibited a clear double standard.
“I don’t think they’ll ask [Vitter] to resign because, of course, he’d be replaced by a Democrat,” he added. “It’s easier to ask Larry Craig to resign because he’d be replaced by a Republican.”
Sen. Ensign has not resigned. A press conference was scheduled for later Tuesday.
On Tuesday night, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow noted that Ensign was one of the Republicans who demanded former President Bill Clinton resign after he admitted to an affair with his intern, Monica Lewinsky.
Report: Ensign relinquishing leadership post
According to a Capitol Hill newspaper, the embattled congressman will be giving up his leadership post.
“Sen. John Ensign (Nev.) will step down as the No. 4 leader in the GOP Conference amid his acknowledgment that he had an affair with a former campaign staffer,” John Staunton reports for Roll Call.
The Hill notes that the resignation came “less than 24 hours after admitting he had an affair with a campaign staffer.”
The Associated Press reports, “Ensign conveyed his decision in a phone call with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who said he had accepted the resignation.”
Roll Call notes “Ensign, who served as National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman in the 2008 cycle, was elected Policy Committee chairman last year.”
“He’s accepted responsibility for his actions and apologized to his family and constituents. He offered, and I accepted, his resignation as chairman of the Policy Committee,” McConnell said.
This video is from MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show, broadcast Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
This article was updated from an original version.
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Damn. I was hoping he was trolling park washrooms and feeling up undercover cops.
Typical scum bag. Banging a staffer’s wife while the staffer and the wife are still in the office. I wonder how they pulled that off? But, you know those republicans are a sneaky bunch. I guess the staffer wasn’t mowin’ or balin’ the hay right. And what a bitch slut wife.
One more time the hypocrisy shines through. Why don’t they all quit calling each other on their short comings? They are human beings in the halls of unchecked power; what do they expect? The Bible thumpers are the worst! It must have been those sinful homosexuals fucking up the institution of marriage again by their clambering to be able to marry(hopefully not like the cheating heterosexuals)one another. Does this guy want to end the war, or provide single payer healthcare? Does he have ANY redeeming qualities?
The party of “family values” comes through AGAIN. Boy they can’t stay out of our bedrooms but they want total hands off in the corporation board rooms. What a bunch of hypocrits the Dixicrap-republiKKKon party is and the corporations that own them.
Republicans! What a bunch of hypocritical losers.
If those faithful-unto-death wives slapped their cheating faces and stormed off to the lawyer’s office, fewer of these assholes would think they could have everything. AND we’d have a lot more respect for the women.
Since this SOB called for Clinton and Craig to resign (and how many others?), then he must resign. Fair is fair.
The party of family values needs to occasionally act as though they had some.
Yeah, but is was with a WOMAN. The republicons are secretly proud. This was not the usual republicon homosexual hypocritical act. They’re thinking they’ve got a real stud here.
In any event, I’m sure all involved are good torture-loving Christians and the Lord God will forgive them for all the sins they’ve committed and will commit in the future.
If he doesn’t resign then he will be kicked out by the rest of the party. After all, the “grand old perverts” can’t have a guy that would have an affair with a WOMAN in it, for the love of whoever it is they actually worship. “EWWWWW, GROSS!”
Just more republican family values in action.
What a scumbag. Didn’t Gavin Newsom do the very same thing, though? Only a matter of time before the woman and her husband (former?) is outed….
hmmm lets add this to the ‘ offenders list’ shall we?
http://www.republicanoffenders.com/index.html
GOD HAS A SINCE OF HUMOR !!!! Sen. Ensign demanded President Clinton resign for his affair and spoke on Christian Family Values and Marriage. Ensign spoke of how made Gay Marriage was and how God only wanted woman/men per as he said the Bible. He words have come back to him and now we’ll hear has he explains this. We’ve heard Republican hang on Christian Marriage Values while having affairs and hiring prostitutes. Sarah and Sen. Ensign make a great pair as both have affairs and see no problem with it but will demand anyone else resign from office. I wonder who’s next to be outed? No wonder people don’t believe the Church anymore as those who are using Christian Values are following Satan’s values.
newt is defiantly proud, he has set the standard, was it 3 for 3 with newt, porked 3 staffers while married to previous staffers he was porking or am I counting the current porkie and preporked current?
Well, at least he’s established that he’s met one half of the Republican requirements to be a Presidential candidate, that of being immoral. Now, if he can establish that he’s also totally ammoral when it comes to Limbaugh’s agenda and otherwise as immediately necessary to the party line, he’s a shoe in as the Republican candidate.
big deal, ron popeil has an affair. huh, what’s that? that’s not ron popeil. huh, how about that.
donofcali is right, they’re probably just glad it wasn’t another gay republican
Why did Elliot Spitzer resign ?
Democrats play too nice.
Elliot should have said “Have you *seen* this young woman ? She is hot, curvaceous, talented in bed, and I can afford her.
Oh, and it made my marriage stronger.”
Screw the Republicans. Look at Norm Coleman.
I’m disappointed in his wife…his affair has made thier marriage “stronger”? I’m tired of women letting scumbags off with a ;misdemeanor…he ruined so many lives and then lied and their marriage is stronger for it?!! Women!
what sleezes. i love the “our marriage is stronger now” bull. ah, no, it isn’t. never happen. little mister senator-man has his balls in a 24/7 lockdown. what price ambition and hipocrisy …
What about his 2001 affair? Is he going to admit to that one also? I guess not…yet—lol.
What happens in Vegas….
http://www.republicansareadisease.com
I dont see what the big fuss is about? The GOP has been porkin’
the US taxpayers for the last 8 yrs ?
I was amused at CNN’s initial reporting on this, and their attempt to find a positive spin.
A Republican Senator has admitted “a consensual Affair”.
Isn’t a “non-consensual Affair” called rape?
Ah… love! Here’s the ONLY reason this matters, and it speaks to this man’s character:
“Ensign was one of the Republicans who demanded former President Bill Clinton resign after he admitted to an affair with his intern, Monica Lewinsky.”
BTW: The reason the Spitzer thing mattered was because it was a public law man, breaking the law (prostitution). Not because it was sex.
Incredibly, these guys believe they can use and abuse women–– and then ask for their votes.
It used to be that this would be a career ender for a politician in the Christo-Fascist Party. Christians have finally given up all pretense of morality, all that matters now is a history of toeing the party line in supporting the slander, and/or murder of their opposition. Don’t think that Christianity is on the ropes though. The worshippers of the three evil gods recovered from the Inquisition faster than civilization that they were trying to ruin.
What part of “Thou Shalt Not” was unclear to you. You obviously are still thinking with your dick not your brain. As you said Clinton “RESIGN.” For the good of the GOP you must resign.
I think what we do in our personal life should be personal as long as it doesnt interfere with our jobs. Its nobodys business ..Hear that republicans and dems..
If you’re a dirtball cheater in your “personal life”, it means you’re a dirtball person. Dirtball persons in their “personal life” also tend to be dirtball persons in their “job lives”. That is, the PERSON is the PERSON, and if your nature is to be a dirtball, you probably shouldn’t be in a position of authority or responsibility. If he’s willing to lie to his wife, do you really think he won’t lie to YOU?
All you idiots that keep pretending that humans are humans at certain times need to get a clue. Bad people are bad people, period. And you don’t want a bad person being the one making the rules, operating on you, jailing you, making your food (spit, feces, urine, semen, all come to mind when ‘bad people’ want to ‘get back at someone’ at say, McDonalds or Taco Bell)..
Get this through your head. You are who you are, and if that’s a bad person, it affects every aspect of everything you do. The only exception I can see to that (and the place with the most infringement) would be “stars”. A cheating actor is still either “good” or “bad” at doing their job, but they are entertainers.. either you’re entertained or you aren’t.. that’s not the same as “someone doing a job”.. Hence, the only people that it pretty much doesn’t matter what kind of a person they are are the people that are there purely for entertainment..
And Government Officials aren’t there for entertainment. They need the public trust and they have a massive responsibility. If you’re too stupid to get that, you shouldn’t be voting and your opinion isn’t relevant.
“that humans are humans [only] at certain times”
bah
So, today resigning from “making policy”.. tomorrow from Congress like he demands of dirtballs?
So he sleeps with a family friend for over a year, but anyone else who does it should resign. (Do as I say, not as I do.)
What a hypocrite!
He’ll get re-elected, just watch.
Hmmm,
So if he resigns is it
1.Because more honey’s will becoming forth
2.I will save my pride and leave public office before they handcuff me
3.The Republican party is trying to hide me before 1 or 2 happens!
I think it’s # 3 because 1 or 2 is about to happen…
I also think he’s guilty of 1 and 2…
These hypocritical slime-bags Republicans make me want to vomit..their age old defense..”Democrats do it too!!” Thats true…won’t argue that..but Democrats don’t get up and scream about their “moral superiority, family values, Christian ways” like these low-life hypocritical Republicans do..and they don’t jump up and down, screaming “impeachment” over a blow-job, like the Republican jerks do..
chabuka is right. These republicon animals are all moral, except when it comes to the million casualties in Iraq. Waterboarding innocent people makes them wet their pants, and racism is what makes them feel alive. I have a sign on the back of my car that says “Republicans Are A Disease”. You can download one too!
http://www.republicansareadisease.com
Raw. I am not selling anything. I just won’t sit idly by any more.
A guy who fucks his buddies wife will fuck anyone over for any reason.
Dunt, dunt, dunt
Another repuglicant bites the dust …
ROTFLMAO - Gotta love those GOP ‘family’ values!!
So he’ll take some time off to spend some time with his family.
I doubt whether your political party determines whether you are more or less prone to cheat on your wife, get your gonads caressed in in publc toilets or get blown by chubby youngsters in the White House, but Republicans are just so damned self-righteous and hypocritical, that when one of the grand old party is caught it’s just that much more gratifying.
Ensign is a member of Promise Keepers an organization allegedly dedicated to improving families by making the Man the head of the household in charge of all decisions while the wife is submissive and obedient. I am not sure this doofus is improving his family but I look forward to hearing that he, like Vitter gets a standing ivation now that the news has come out. Looks to me like at least Ensigns wife declined to stand beside him looking shell shocked. I doubt that he will follow his own advice and resign the job. I figure if a man lies and cheats on the person mose important to him he will lie and cheat to his voters. I expect like Newt the seriel adulterer he will be out there running on what he has said others should do rather than what he does.
LA-Times sez…
2009
Reporting from Washington and Las Vegas — The 19-year-old son of a woman who reportedly had an affair with Nevada Sen. John Ensign was being paid by the National Republican Senatorial Committee during the relationship, federal election records show.
Brandon Hampton, who shares an address with former Ensign staffers Doug and Cynthia Hampton, was paid $5,400 between March 2008 and August 2008.
The payments, for “research policy consulting,” ended the same month as the affair, which was said to begin in December 2007.
Ensign staffers and committee officials did not return calls seeking comment.
Doug Hampton had worked for Ensign as an administrative assistant, earning more than $144,000 in fiscal 2007 and about $101,000 in fiscal 2008.
While working for Ensign’s Battle Born PAC, Cynthia Hampton made nearly $700 per pay period for much of 2007. In February 2008, that doubled to almost $1,400.
Both Doug and Cynthia Hampton stopped working for Ensign by May 2008. A housekeeper who answered the door Wednesday at their Las Vegas home said they had left for the day.
The Nevada senator, previously considered a rising Republican star, admitted to the affair Tuesday at a hastily arranged news conference in Las Vegas. Today, he resigned from his Senate leadership post.