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Ensign aides cleared to testify to grand jury on senator's affair
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STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Updated: Jul. 30, 2010 | 7:58 a.m.
WASHINGTON -- The Senate cleared a path Thursday for staff members to testify before a federal grand jury investigating criminal misconduct allegations against Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.
A resolution that passed without dissent and without discussion shortly before the Senate recessed for the evening authorizes the testimony of "Senate employees in a grand jury proceeding" in the District of Columbia.
Such a grand jury has been convened in the Ensign case. It was another sign that the Justice Department is moving along in its probe of Ensign's extramarital affair with his former political aide Cindy Hampton and allegations he violated lobbying law and other statutes in attempting to cover it up.
The Senate ethics committee is conducting a parallel investigation.
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., read the title of the resolution and called for its passage by unanimous consent as part of the Senate's closing routine that included passage of several minor noncontroversial bills. She said it has been submitted earlier Thursday.
Citing Senate aides, the Politico news site reported the resolution was necessary because Senate rules prohibit staffers from testifying outside Congress. The rules uphold the speech or debate clause in the Constitution that prohibits members of Congress from being prosecuted for their legislative activities.
Ensign's office did not respond Thursday night to a request for comment. The Nevada Democratic Party called attention to the resolution in a release that described the development as "devastating news for Ensign and another sign that his political career is coming to an end."
Contact Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.
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Ha. Perfect. As soon as I posted I told a colleague, "Watch. Instead of coming back with something intelligent, this moron will simply write another list." Funny but sad.
Sen. John Ensign (R) Nevada.
Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) Nevada.
Rob Laur [in today's news, charged with assault] (R) Nevada.
Sharron Angle (R) Nevada.
See the pattern?
Larry (R).
Curley (R).
Moe (R).
See the pattern?
Jack.Webb. You wrote three names. All three are Republican politicians. Then you wrote "see the pattern?" That's absurd. Make an argument. Don't make yourself look stupid by abusing principles of logic. Whatever message you intended to communicate lacks proper evidence and a conclusion. You failed to account for the possibility that there are other patterns that we can see from your list. For example, the only pattern I saw is that by comparing Ensign, Gibbons and Angle, you fit in with the rest of the morons who can't think logically. Was that your intended message?
THAT WAS SOME EXPENSIVE TRIM !!!
odj: I've been following Rascal Rangel's case. Is Ensign's case being brought up now to detract from Rangle's? Maybe it is time to vote out every politician who is in office now and replace them with new faces. That would give the new one a two-year probation period before we can toss them out. (Yes, I vote even though I'm not supposed to. No one has stopped me yet.)
How long can you hang on, John Ensign? Resign now and let the governor appoint a Senator to finish out your term.
Jack.Webb - 10 bucks says you throw like a girl and sit down to pee.
Ensign, you are going down like Gibbons.
"Joseph.Cassel wrote on July 30, 2010 06:35 AM: I don't understand something. It only took a few years to go after Ensign, but it took forty years to after Rangel. Why?"
Because Rangel was eventually corrupted. As a Republican, Ensign was born corrupt.