Senator won’t deny urging fellow Republican to pay woman he had affair with
Published: July 9, 2009
Updated 4 months ago
Updates at bottom: Ensign’s parents paid $96,000 ‘gift’ to Hamptons; Coburn says Ensign mistress’ husband spreading ‘untruths’ and claims convos with Ensign were ‘privileged communications’
Conservative Republican Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) purportedly urged Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) to pay off a mistress with whom he admitted having an affair — and wouldn’t deny urging payments to the woman and her husband when asked about the charge.
Ensign admitted having an affair last month, saying he “violated the vows” of his marriage and adding, “It is the worst thing I have ever done in my life. If there was ever anything in my life that I could take back, this would be it.”
Apparently Oklahoma’s Republican senator urged just that.
The husband of Ensign’s mistress, Doug Hampton, told a newspaper columnist in a TV interview Wednesday that Coburn — and others — had urged Ensign to give the couple “millions of dollars” to pay off their mortgage and “walk away” from Las Vegas, Ensign’s hometown.
Hampton also said that Coburn had known about the affair for more than a year.
In response, Coburn’s office has confirmed he knew the affair had taken place, but vehemently denied that he advocated for any payoffs. He didn’t, however, deny outright that he’d urged Ensign to provide the couple with money.
“Dr. Coburn did everything he could to encourage Sen. Ensign to end his affair and to persuade Sen. Ensign to repair the damage he had caused to his own marriage and the Hampton’s marriage,” Coburn’s office said in a statement to the website Politico. “Had Sen. Ensign followed Dr. Coburn’s advice, this episode would have ended, and been made public, long ago.”
According to the report, Hampton and Coburn confronted Ensign in February 2008. An anonymous cited source says Coburn’s suggestion to pay the Hamptons, if true, was “an expression of restitution and not in any way ‘hush money.”
The Oklahoma Republican’s spokesman, John Hart, wouldn’t deny that Coburn spoke with Ensign about making payments, but “categorically denies” Hampton’s claim that he urged Ensign to pay millions.
Coburn says Ensign mistress’ husband spreading ‘untruths’
Senator Coburn angrily denied the accusations Thursday but refused to go into details about what he discussed with Ensign.
Politico reports, “Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) on Thursday issued a blistering attack on Doug Hampton, the husband of Sen. John Ensign’s (R-Nev.) mistress, saying that he had provided false information about paying off Hampton after Ensign revealed he was having an affair with his wife. ”
“John Ensign hasn’t put me in a tough position at all,” said Coburn, a housemate of Ensign’s at a Capitol Hill home owned by a Christian fellowship. “The person that’s deceiving now is Doug. And you all need to go do the investigation now on that side of it and quit asking us and ask what’s the motivation here.”
….
On Thursday, Coburn declined to go into detail about his conversations with Ensign.
“I’m not going to go into that – that’s privileged communications. I’m never going to talk about that with anybody. … I never will, not to a court of law, not to an Ethics Committee, not to anybody – because that is privileged communication that I will never reveal to anybody.” He suggested that his position as a physician and an ordained deacon could keep the information privileged.
And the senator lashed out at the media for continuing to focus on the matter and for helping “tear apart” the Hamptons and the Ensigns, who each have three kids and have known each other for years.
Coburn told reporters to “quit” it.
“You’ve got two families that are back together and you guys are going to help tear them apart,” Coburn said. “What do you think their kids are thinking about what you’re writing right now? You’re helping tear apart two families that are back together – you need to quit.”
Ensign’s parents paid $96,000 ‘gift’ to Hamptons
Politico’s Glenn Thrush reports that a large payment was made to the Hamptons on Ensign’s behalf.
By the senator’s parents.
Full statement by Paul Coggins, Counsel for Senator John Ensign follows
In April 2008, Senator John Ensign’s parents each made gifts to Doug Hampton, Cindy Hampton, and two of their children in the form of a check totaling $96,000. Each gift was limited to $12,000. The payments were made as gifts, accepted as gifts and complied with tax rules governing gifts.
After the Senator told his parents about the affair, his parents decided to make the gifts out of concern for the well-being of long-time family friends during a difficult time. The gifts are consistent with a pattern of generosity by the Ensign family to the Hamptons and others.
None of the gifts came from campaign or official funds nor were they related to any campaign or official duties. Senator Ensign has complied with all applicable laws and Senate ethics rules.
Criminal attorney Stan Brand said that while the payments “make the story more interesting,” they still do not appear to be illegal. Ensign’s parents essentially provided gifts to the Hamptons, “which they are entitled to do. I don’t think that’s an ethic violation of any kind.”
Brand argued that private citizens and corporations make cash settlements all the time, which is perfectly legal, and under Internal Revenue Service rules, “you can gift as much as you want to certain people.”
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Oh good. This story isn’t going a way completely. More on Ensign and Sanborn, and less on MJ!
Before you morons say anything else you may want to read this:
On May 24, 2007 the US Senate voted 80-14 to fund the war in Iraq. Coburn voted nay.[12] On October 1, 2007 the US Senate voted 92-3 to fund the war in Iraq. Coburn voted nay.[13] In February 2008, Coburn said, “I will tell you personally that I think it was probably a mistake going to Iraq.
Put you money where your MOUTH is Democraps!
“On May 24, 2007 the US Senate voted 80-14 to fund the war in Iraq. Coburn voted nay.[12] On October 1, 2007 the US Senate voted 92-3 to fund the war in Iraq. Coburn voted nay.”
Good post..
uhmmm… does that mean he also thinks it was a mistake to say that abortion doctors should get the death penalty?
or the countless times he’s put his foot in his mouth, a doubly impressive accomplishment considering that his head was simultaneously up his ass?
What he “says” doesn’t mean a damn thing. It is what THEY vote. (not withstanding his original vote authorizing the GWOT fiasco) Not saying he is a good guy by any means. Hardly ANY of them are good people.
Your original statement is the same kind of logic that says “it’s Thursday so the sun must be out”. What does that have to do with the price of bullets in Detroit? And how on earth does that have anything to do with those on the left “putting their money where their mouth is”? Your lack of coherence is amazing.
The point here is that this guy knew about illegal and immoral activity and his response was to make an illegal payoff. How does that have ANYTHING to do with his current stance on Iraq? It doesn’t. But it does go pretty far in showing just what a lack of character and ethics this guy has.
It’s not we on the left who need to put OUR money where our moths are, it’s YOU on the right. YOU have been the ones screaming at the tops of your lungs about morals. And then your guys get caught in airport men’s rooms trying to pick up strangers. It’s YOU who have been screaming about ethics and then YOUR guys resign from congress for one thing after another, ALL having to do with breaches of ethics and morality. And don’t even start me on the incredible levels of hypocrisy that ooze from YOUR side of the aisle. Remember, buddy, when you point a finger at someone else, there are 4 pointing back at YOU.
A vote against the Iraq war is a little late. The troops are pulling out.
Glad to hear someone had a cool head and some sense on THAT issue.
Why the insult “Democraps?” I don’t get that in relation to this story. We all fly off the handle but I think you should apologize.
As for this story: The Republicans go for the churchy moral crowd… when they do things like this it is news… THEY made the issue an election point. This is of particular interest due to its timing… other similar stories.
I don’t think he’s a bad guy. He’s just pretending to be all family-values and he’s not. If someone RUNS on that platform… it’s fair game, and informative to the constituency who voted DUE TO THAT, to know the truth. Otherwise… who does care what he does with his dick.
HE made it an issue.
Gee, paying someone off? Isn’t that the “Grand Old Pay-off” party way of doing business? Usually it’s lobbyists and hookers….
A stunning example of Republican family values. Cheat on your wife with the staff, and then to avoid getting caught turn your mistress into a two-bit hooker. Way to go, Coburn: I always had you made out as a skeevy cock sucker.
I find it amazing the different names Washington politicians call bribes and payoffs. Campaign contributions, donations, RESTITUTION and probably 10 more that don’t come to mind right now.
Coburn voted against funding our troops and even against the War. Democrats like Obama and Biden supported Bush/Cheney illegal invasion. If we had a Republican like Coburn in the White House we wouldn’t have a Recession or a War. Americans should follow his Christian Family Values as examples. No problem paying a mistress, pay to play or even having a Congressman like Foley who molest kids, Vitter who hires prostitutes or even Craig who looks for sex in the men’s room. Sanford is a hero and others should do the same. Now let’s but Coburn in the White House so Wall Street and Banks can get back to stealing the taxpayers money as Coburn holds the bible to prove he’s following God. What an example to the youth of America. Now President Obama values are attacked as wrong. He believes in respecting his wife, date night and spending time with his kids. Republicans have shown that’s not the way Christian Religious Values work in America.
Obama couldn’t have supported McFlightsuit’s illegal war in Iraq, since Congress passed the resolution on October 12, 2002. Obama wasn’t elected to the Senate until 2004. He DID, however, voted against the resolution for the ’surge’.
Um, you may want to recheck your facts before posting next time.
Show me X-ian family values! There are none. He’s (either one of ‘em) is just another criminal. They are stealing our future. You are as much a participant in the crime as he and should also do jail time — as an accomplice. Write when they put you in your cell. We really don’t want to hear from you until then.
Talking about Tom Coburn’s voting record is a pathetic attempt to distract from his extremely hypocritical actions in John Ensign’s affair. However gutless or immoral Democrats in congress may be, that does not excuse Republicans from behaving badly, does it?
natty, can you explain the connection between voting no on money for the troops and urging a fellow Senator to pay off a mistress before she opens her big yap? One good decision does not nullify a bad decision.
Coburn believes rape victims should not be allowed abortions, because his great-grandmother was raped, and if she hadn’t been raped, his grandfather wouldn’t have been born and Tom wouldn’t be here either! He blocked legislation that would call for background checks for mental health before a person could buy a gun - he was afraid that soldiers with PTSD would not be allowed to buy guns - geez, who would want that? He’s also famous for completely denying any kind of global warming.
Now he’s in hot water for encouraging bribes. What a great decision-maker.
no connection whatsoever. Just pointing out the meat from the the potatoes. Or trying to strip the trivial from the essential. Not one parent or wife of a dead American soldier gives a fuck where ensign does or does not stick his dick.
Your are correct, but also wrong. You’re point wasn’t about Ensign, it was about Coburn. So what’ s your point?
No one should really care where Ensign puts his dick, other than Mrs. Ensign and whomever else he’s banging. A lot of people do care if he’s bribing people to keep their mouths shut about where he puts it though.
Family values will tie you up in knots if you’re not really a family man.
Oh, and I don’t believe Ensign shares Coburn’s voting record on this point, making your ‘point’ about where Ensign (as opposed to Coburn) puts his dick pretty meaningless.
Didn’t you hear? The Dept of Def has decided that PTSD is bewing a crybaby and as such doesn’t qualify as a mental illnes or emotional distress.
The GOP is like a fireworks factory that’s exploding.
It’s such a shame we didn’t take down these thugs eight years ago.
THANKS, NADER !!!
Gore Lieberman 2000?!
DNC & RNC have BOTH sold out the country in order to enrich themselves.
Gravel Kucinich Paul Nader
McKinney Ventura too
perotcharts.com
The Fed
AIPAC
9/11
I voted for Nader, and I never for a moment considered voting for a Democrat, why would I want to vote for a bunch of war pigs? What kind of fucking retard would vote for anyone with Lieberman on the ticket? Didn’t you notice him whispering in McCain’s ear at every single campaign stop he ever made? Lol, thugs, 8 years ago, hahaha!
“It’s such a shame we didn’t take down these thugs eight years ago.” - You didn’t take anyone down, they’re all still there, the war is still there, Joe Lieberman is still there and this guy got caught fucking his mistress, he brought himself down and you had nothing to do with it. It was fucking his mistress that did him in, not the part he played in the murder of hundreds of thousnads of civilians. Bill Clinton and George Bush Sr, still riding around in golf carts together while talking shit about Jimmy. Bush is sitting pretty in Dallas, Dick is probably out shooting little birds, the troops killed a tons of people this week with anti-tank missiles, they’re all still there asshole, nobody was ‘taken down’, Bush’s term ran out, 8 years max you know.
I specifically remember being repeatedly attacked and called every name in the book for supporting Nader in 2000 and every single last attack came from Democratic fanatics. So to you and people of your ilk, all I have to say is fuck you and your wars you stupid fucking assholes.
Oklahoma — Inhofe, Coburn — what’s in the water out there?
Is that why Okies have a dark brown stain line around their teeth?
“Democrats like Obama and Biden supported Bush/Cheney illegal invasion.”
Which, of course, makes it a Democratic illegal invasion not a Bush/Cheney illegal invasion.
“If we had a Republican like Coburn in the White House we wouldn’t have a Recession or a War.”
Um, you mean like the Bush/Cheney crime cabal?
“help for your kool aid addictions people….that is if any of you are real people, most of you act like DLC trolls and you probably are.”
Bullshit. Coburn was hoping Ensign would pay his whore off so it WOULDN’T become public.
Once again, the repuglicunt’s circle the wagons in order to try to cover their own’s hypocritical, lying asses.
“It is the worst thing I have ever done in my life. If there was ever anything in my life that I could take back, this would be it.” - When people say shit like this, there is always something far worse, that’s why it was no big deal from him to do his ‘I walked away from the lord’ drivel.
The Prince of Darkness nails it again. I can think of a worse situation: trying to borrow money to have the “Sarah for President” tattoo removed.
Poor little crybabys Coburn and Ensign - the media needs to QUIT IT and stop making them cry. Yea, right, just like you two hypocritical asses called for when you were hunting down Clinton. It didn’t matter that the media didn’t quit then or that your paranoid frenzied righteousness contributed to daily doses of media pukage about him. You don’t get to have it both ways, liars, so media - give us more!
Clinton was impeached because of an affair..Sanford ,Ensign have a affair have republicans check their books and pay back what they took in installments which we would have gone to jail for and keep their jobs so they can do it again..No more of this two sets of rules crap.
I have one question for the “pro family” republiKKKon party. WHAT DO WE TELL THE CHILDREN????? With what appears, the majority of republiKKKons party, violate their marriage vows but campaigns on the ground of “family values”.
What family value allows you to have an affair, lie about it, pay the “victims off” and lie, lie, lie to cover their tracks? ? ? I thought the republiKKKon party was the party of marriage. I guess they believe in marriage but violate their marital vows to trash if an attactive man or woman comes along.
WHAT DO WE TELL THE CHILDREN???????? (republiKKKons lie, and lie and lie is the only thing I can come up with)
BTW, where is Ralph Nader? Oh that’s right we only hear from him every 4 years when he wants to run for president. 3 1/2 years to go before we hear from him again. Yea, right, we sure need people like him who have no ideas to help America, he only wants to be President.
xrepublican:
“BTW, where is Ralph Nader? Oh that’s right we only hear from him every 4 years when he wants to run for president. 3 1/2 years to go before we hear from him again. Yea, right, we sure need people like him who have no ideas to help America, he only wants to be President.”
~ Try google, & give up the Dem talking-point propaganda.
Wall street
Military industrial complex
Multi-national corporations
Health insurance pharma complex
Does “your” government & media lie about anything?
Does “your” government & media lie about everything?
“an expression of restitution and not in any way ‘hush money.” - So she was a $100,00 prostitute?
No she was making change for a $100,000 bill. Change you can believe in.
HEY CONSERVATIVES…
Those FAMILY VALUES of yours sure are expensive
When you folks EXTORT money from one another do you have to be born again (or in this case Born again, again, AGAIN …as the story GROWS)
.
BTW, Do you miss the days of Statutory Rape (Family Value) …FOLEY
or
Diaper Boy VITTER & his call girl SEXPLOITS ?
.
FAMILY VALUES ….GOTTA LOVE EM
Don’t cry for me Argentina ….or is it Wasilla ?
The story is really about private business among Republicans all. It should not have been made public.
But, here it is. To the Republican senators involved, you are “family value” hypocrites.
it will be interesting watching you campaign on important issues, now that the “family valves” issue is off the table for you.
All we have to do is dress up a white “tar” baby that looks like “fishy-pants” palin and we can “reel” these “Good Ol’ Perverts” back into the briar patch.
Did she and her husband report that income to the IRS?
This is INCOME — for sexual services rendered. It was NOT a gift.