Amid Ethics Investigation, GOP Sen. Ensign Announces Retirement
- Posted on March 7, 2011 at 3:04pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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LAS VEGAS (AP) — GOP Senator John Ensign of Nevada said Monday he won’t seek re-election.
Ensign, who is under investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee, said he decided last week against seeking a third term because he was worried about the effect of a campaign on his family.
“I’m putting them first, instead of my career,” Ensign said.
He acknowledged in June 2009 that he had an extramarital affair with a former member of his campaign staff, and that he had helped her husband, a member of his congressional staff, obtain lobbying work with a Nevada company.
In recent months, he had been adamant that he would seek re-election and that he did nothing to violate the law or Senate ethics rules.
Ensign, 52, denied the ethics investigation weighed in his decision. He denied again that he broke the law or ethics rules.
“It had zero effect,” he said. “If I was concerned about that, I would resign. That would make the most sense, because then it would go away.”
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chief Guy Cecil promised a grassroots effort to elect a Democrat.
“Whoever Republicans field as their candidate will have a tough time holding onto this seat in a blue-trending state with President Obama at the top of the ticket,” Cecil said.
Once elected comfortable with 55 percent of the vote, Ensign’s admission that he had cheated on his wife seemingly marked the beginning of his political downfall.
His retirement announcement Monday in some ways mirrored his 2009 disclosure of his extramarital relationship, when he also called reporters to the Las Vegas courthouse where his Senate office is located for a last-minute press conference where he announced he had engaged in the nine-month affair.
“If there was ever anything that I could take back in my life, this would be it,” Ensign said at the time. “I violated the vows of my marriage.”
Amid the scandal, Ensign helped find Doug Hampton a lobbying gig.
The Justice Department and the Federal Election Commission investigated the alleged bribes then dropped the cases with little explanation. The Senate ethics committee, however, recently named a special counsel to look into the allegations.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report had named Ensign the nation‘s most vulnerable incumbent and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn had repeatedly refused to vouch for Ensign’s re-election campaign.
If Ensign survived the primary, he could have faced an equally brutal general election fight. A roster of popular Democrats including Rep. Shelley Berkley of Las Vegas, Secretary of State Ross Miller and Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto were named by party leaders as prospective rivals.
Elected to the U.S. House in 1994, Ensign, a former veterinarian preached family values, Christian fellowship and fiscal responsibility. Ensign became a rising star after he was elected to the Senate in 2000, and was eventually named the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. A 2009 trip to Iowa sparked speculation about a future presidential bid.
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MJR
Posted on March 8, 2011 at 11:56pmThey voted back Reid, might become another Californaia, libs top to bottom, or bottom to top.
Report Post »KEA
Posted on March 8, 2011 at 6:03pmTHROW him out! We have no time or place for crooks and adulterers from either party!
Report Post »stevesr
Posted on March 8, 2011 at 3:04pmWhere are the Christians who should be lifting up these people in government in prayer? To have God build a hedge around His people to protect, guide and keep faithful while they work in the slime of Washington. How can we hold in judgment the failing of our elected officials when we selfishly fail to pray for them? Who indeed can cast the first stone?
Report Post »Timsincali
Posted on March 8, 2011 at 11:21amWhen you dance with the devil….. you get burned…. ALWAYS one way, or another. He should have resigned before any of the public would have ever found out; that is what an honorable man would have done. Now, am I with out sin, NO, none of us are but this guy and all whom would represent us must be able to keep genitalia in the slacks. So, good riddance and good luck to him as well because I do truly hope he and his family heals from his deeds.
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on March 8, 2011 at 10:08amDamn these Republicans, stand and fight, when the left tries to make mountains out of molehills accusing you of some crap fight screwing someone isn’t near as bad as the stealing of tax payer funds, collusion with unions, and whoring with oil companies the democrats all do daily. If you continue to step down in disgrace over trivial crap while allowing the criminals on the left to stay even after being convicted of crimes, we can never take back this nation.
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on March 8, 2011 at 11:31amOnly REAL criminals like Rangel and Blago can get away with that!
Report Post »takemout
Posted on March 8, 2011 at 1:12pmSwampy, you and I have a different view of morality. I believe malfeasance in office is a hanging offense. Are you aware that he gave the Hampton family a $96,000.00 bribe? Are you aware that big talking Christian betrayed his wife his children, his friend and all the people who voted for him? The most disappointing thing to me is that it brings to life the tome that all Christians are hypocrites.
Report Post »Miguelito
Posted on March 8, 2011 at 8:59amNeed to investigate the Dems as well!
Report Post »watchtheotherhand
Posted on March 8, 2011 at 9:55amI am for rooting out every unethical politician Republican or Democrat. Only problem with doing that is nearly every seat would be vacated immediately. Our government is a bastion for the greedy, self-serving, immoral, perverse, proud and arrogant of this country. Although there are a few ethical principled politicians left in government I am afraid their sparsity makes them fairly ineffectual in most instances. Certainly they are on the endangered ethical politician species list !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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