Sen. John Ensign, R-Nv., finally resigned Friday after the Senate Ethics Committee voted last week to continue to probe Ensign based on allegations he had an affair with campaign aid Cynthia Hampton in 2009. Evidence suggests his parents paid the Hamptons $96,000 in hush money after Douglas Hampton threatened to go public.
The consistently sickening tale of those who live in glass houses, taking nourishment from enablers eager to downplay faults and exaggerated virtues finally ended in the only way possible — with Ensign resigning.
The interesting thing is this is old news to everyone in Nevada. Evidence of this affair sprung up almost two years ago, and it was clear his political career was over after the Senate Ethics Committee opened an investigation in June 2009. But the man in the mirror couldn’t be convinced and continued to try to charm his way out of trouble and has been intent on survival ever since.
So when the former Senator says in his letter of resignation that the reason why he is stepping down is because he wanted to spare his family from an exceptionally ugly campaign, one must ask, what the heck he was doing dragging them along for 20 months in hope of somehow weaseling his way out of an affair?
It is apparent the real reason why he decided to resign is contained in the final sentence of a brief statement from the Senate Ethics Committee saying they would continue their investigation. Once released, it was game over for Ensign.
The second question is why the Ethics Committee is being so persistent in completing its investigation. Because of Ensign’s resignation, the committee lost jurisdiction in the case and cannot formally charge Ensign with his wrongdoings.
“The Senate Ethics Committee has worked diligently for 22 months on this matter and will complete its work in a timely fashion so that the accurate, complete story is made public,” chairman of the panel Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Ca., and ranking member Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., said in a statement.
I understand the committee has spent a very long time on the investigation, and it wants to a tie a knot at the end instead of just giving up. But the deed is done. Ensign retired, and it can no longer charge him, so it is almost pointless.
If it was able to get everything together in the next couple of weeks then that is one thing. But any amount of time more than a month seems like a waste of resources just to make the complete story public.
The final question is simply, what will happen to the open seat? Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Republican, is expected to pick Rep. Dean Heller, R-District 1, which will likely give the GOP the edge to keep the seat in 2012 based on incumbency.
Democrats still hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, counting the two independents who caucus with them. They see Nevada as one of their top opportunities to gain a seat and State Democrats have and should turn their attention to Heller. The Democrats claim his vote on the budget plan last week would “end Medicare as we know it.” Heller is clearly not the right choice for Nevada.